The Year in Review

We are living in a time when the world around us is changing fast – technology is accelerating, the pace is increasing, and the red tape is getting more and more complex. This brings both challenges and opportunities for us at SIS. We are seeing a clear shift: growing EU regulation is driving demand for standards and we are receiving more orders than before. This is evidence of the increasingly important role of standardization as a tool for transition, innovation and developing society.

At the same time, we are facing stalemate on what is known as the citation question, which affects both access to and the use of harmonized standards in the EU to ensure that we are complying with EU legislation. The ISO and the IEC taking the European Commission to court made it clear that the issue is not just about law but also about fundamental principles of collaboration and accessibility.

Meanwhile, we can see that international standardization is on a strong footing, with great demand for international standards. Our international standardization system through ISO remains as strong as ever; all the countries of the world contribute despite conflicts on the global stage. Given the current global situation, this is unique and something we must protect and build on further.

Digitalization of the standardization system continues to change the way we work. It demands that we as an organization develop new working methods, digital solutions and support structures – not least to make standards user-friendly, transparent and accessible in a more complex reality. During the year, we have also reviewed our value offering to members and participants. The goal is clear: to create greater clarity, increase engagement and improve opportunities for more people to contribute to and influence standardization.

We are heading into the future with a strong conviction that standards will play an even more crucial role. However, at SIS we will not be doing this work alone – not without all the experts, companies, government agencies and organizations engaged in standardization. Our mission is to make it as easy as possible for them to get involved.

Annika Andreasen, CEO
Swedish Institute for Standards