Young professionals bring new energy, ideas, and skills to European standardization. As our society undergoes rapid transformations, their contributions are key to ensuring that standards remain relevant, forward-looking, and impactful.
In the context of the green and digital transitions, and as Europe strengthens its efforts to build a skilled and forward-looking workforce, we are continuing our interview series dedicated to young professionals. Through conversations with young professionals working in standardization across different sectors and countries, we will highlight their experiences, motivations, and visions for the future.
This campaign aims to shed light on the vital role of skills, collaboration, and innovation in keeping European standardization fit for tomorrow’s challenges – and on the people who are already helping to shape it.
For the fourth episode in this year’s series of interviews, we interviewed Emma Brimdyr from SIS, working as a Global R&D Sustainability Specialist at ABB Robotics, on her efforts to make sustainable robots, the value of standardization in an international context, and what it is like to be a young professional in standardization.
1. Please, present yourself. How are you involved in standardization?
My name is Emma Brimdyr, and I am based in Stockholm, Sweden. I am the Convenor for ISO/TC 299 Working Group 11 ‘Measuring energy consumption for industrial robots.’ My day job is working as a Global R&D Sustainability Specialist at ABB Robotics.
In robotics, around 70 percent of carbon emissions come from the “use phase,” the energy used by customers operating robots, but there is no global standard currently in place to compare the energy consumption of different robots and choose the most energy efficient solution. After discussing with the ISO representatives at ABB Robotics, we were motivated to create a new Working Group that would develop a Technical Specification to measure the energy consumption and efficiency of an industrial robot. Our goal is to promote transparency and allow end users to make more informed decisions.
2. How did you become interested in standardization?
I have a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a master’s degree in Sustainability. In my master’s studies, we often dealt with large, systemic problems like climate change and carbon accounting, while Mechanical Engineering was about problem-solving on a part or product level.
I became interested in standardization as a tool to unite these two approaches, addressing small changes in the scope of a larger, systems-level approach.
3. You are the Convenor in ISO/TC 299 WG 11 ‘Measuring energy consumption for industrial robots.’ Can you explain what you are working on?
Our Working Group is developing a global Technical Specification to measure the energy consumption of an industrial robot. It is complicated because there are so many independent variables – speed, acceleration, the weight of the payload, the accuracy required, the distances travelled, and so on. And these variables can change quite drastically depending on the application and the size of the robot. Our Working Group is developing a standardized cycle assessment that can empower customers to make informed decisions and help the industry reduce its carbon footprint.
4. Once the Technical Specification for measuring the energy consumption of robots is published, what will be the next steps to ensure its adoption worldwide? Are there plans to make this TS European?
The project is still in its early stages and is due to be completed by August 2026 – but we are already receiving enquiries from robot producers and users around Europe, and we are optimistic that the standard will be adopted globally. So, watch this space!
5. What’s the most important lesson you learned through your work in ISO? Why should European young professionals get involved in international standardization?
At school, we can often feel like everything is already known. We are being taught the correct answers to known questions. Arithmetic, language, science… And if we don’t know an answer, we can usually find someone who understands and can explain it.
One of the lessons I have learned from working in ISO is that the answer is not always already known, but through collaboration and discussion, we can find a good path forward. When I first started as an ISO convenor, I thought the team of experts would know how to measure the energy consumption of an industrial robot, and we would just need to write it down in the right format. But in reality, the experts don’t know everything either. Or maybe they know a piece of the puzzle but cannot see how it all fits together. By talking it through and using each person’s unique experiences and expertise to help to form new answers and standards, we can find the answer. It is exciting to be part of the creation of solutions and answers!
6. Leading an international working group at a young age is impressive. What skills have been most useful for you as Convenor, beyond technical expertise?
I think the most important skills are to listen and to ask questions, with a positive attitude. Everyone in our Working Group comes from a different country, company, technical background and area of expertise. They often have great suggestions, but sometimes I don’t understand their perspective. So, I always try to listen first and be courageous enough to ask questions when I need clarification. It often turns out that there are others who also didn’t understand, so questions, although they sometimes feel embarrassing, can actually help us all improve the specification.
It also helps that I have been surrounded by great experts who are happy to explain and discuss with me!
7. In your experience, why are international standards important for Europe? Can you explain the relationship between international and European standards?
International standards are important for Europe because they enable efficient cross-border collaboration in a time when European industry needs it most. People often view standardization as a hurdle, but in reality, they ensure we speak the same language and can help processes become more optimized. With over four million industrial robots operating worldwide and automation expanding into new sectors, making European industry run leaner and cleaner by choosing the most energy efficient robot for the job is paramount. And a technical specification ensures that each company and country does not need to develop their own routines and processes.
Unlike other products which have clearly defined standards to measure and compare energy efficiency, there has not been a recognized international standard for measuring the energy consumption of a robot. This initiative will enable informed decisions and help European industry reduce its carbon footprint. If a European standard is "useful," it can be adopted as an international standard.
8. What can CEN and CENELEC as ESOs do to improve the participation of young and, more generally, new people, especially young women, in standardization?
I think one of the easiest things CEN and CENELEC can do is to increase the knowledge at schools about standardization, potentially through guest lectures, courses, and field trips. Most people don’t know what standardization work is like. Before I started, I saw it as a formal and time-consuming process – however, my colleagues and work are anything but! My ISO colleagues are passionate, interesting, and I truly feel that we are shifting the robotics world to be more sustainable.
9. What would you say to young professionals who might never have heard of standardization? Why should they care — and where should they start?
Standardization helps shape the world we live in – it ensures safety, good communication, and in my case, ensures that we will develop robots which are more energy efficient, and therefore more sustainable. It can help drive the industry in a certain direction. So come join us to make a better future!
This article is part of our special series dedicated to the Young Professionals in European Standardization: through a series of articles and interviews with standardization professionals, experts and business leaders coming from a variety of backgrounds, we will explore the interaction between innovation, skills and standardization in some of the most relevant sectors for Europe’s long-term competitiveness. You can read the other articles related to the campaign here.
