Austrian Standards participated to Vienna Daughters' Day 2023

Since 2011, the Vienna Daughters' Day has been a fixed highlight in Austrian Standards' annual calendar. The young women were given an exciting insight into the work of the Austrian Organization for Standardization and Innovation. They were able to shadow Austrian Standards employees and create their own standard during a special committee meeting.

Valerie Höllinger, CEO at Austrian Standards, and Birgit Unger, COO at Austrian Standards, were eager to get to know the visitors, answer questions about their personal career paths, and provide career advice. "The innovative ideas of the girls once again confirmed that there are many future topics for standards. Therefore, our goal is to make diversity and 'design for all' a lived practice. Because the needs in our society are diverse, and only when all voices are heard can they be reflected in standards. Therefore, the participation of women in standardization is not only important but essential. Giving young women first insights into our global standardization network and our valuable work is therefore a special concern for us," says Valerie Höllinger.

Meaningful tasks at Austrian Standards

Even as an employer, Austrian Standards demonstrates that diversity in the workforce leads to a higher level of innovation, success, and employee satisfaction. The 130-member team consists of 54 percent women, speaks 20 languages, and brings together 12 nationalities. "We benefit from this broad spectrum of personal skills and experiences. Through our meaningful work and our enthusiasm for innovation, we have also conveyed a clear message today: standards play an essential role in ensuring that Austria and Europe remain competitive and future-proof in the international context. And for this, we want to inspire even more women to actively participate in standardization in the future," explains Birgit Unger.

Insights into the Daughters' Day

At Austrian Standards, new ideas from the next generation are in demand. In a special Daughters' Day committee, the young experts were able to develop their own standard. They experienced all the steps from the first idea through consensus-building in the committee to completion: naming the standard, in fast-forward. In doing so, they learned first-hand how standards make everyday life safer and what contribution they make to the national and global economy. The participants captured their insights into the day themselves in photos and posted them on Austrian Standards' social media channels under expert guidance.

This article, developed by ASI, is part of our special series dedicated to the European Year of Skills: through a series of interviews with standardization professionals, experts and business leaders coming from a variety of background, throughout the year we will explore the interaction between innovation, skills and standardization in some of the most relevant sectors for Europe’s long-term competitiveness.