Innovation is often associated with breakthrough technologies, disruptive business models, and visionary entrepreneurs. Yet the ability to transform an idea into a commercially successful product or service depends on something far less visible: the infrastructure that enables innovation to scale.
As announced in the previous edition of On the Spot, June was dedicated to Education for Standards. The first highlight was the first Austrian Academic Standards Day in Graz, where Prof. Dr. Karl Grün, Deputy Managing Director of Austrian Standards International, highlighted the strategic role of standards in translating innovation into practice, building trust, and connecting academia, industry, and society.
The Cyprus Organisation for Standardisation (CYS), under the auspices of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2026, successfully hosted the CEN and CENELEC Annual Meeting from 16 to 19 June 2026 in Agia Napa, Cyprus.
Standards. All of them. This was the starting point of "Standards4Future Skills – Hack Your Way Into the Industry", the Academic Standards Day organized by ASRO on 28 May 2026 at the "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University of Iași, Romania, as part of the Edu4Standards project.
CEN and CENELEC welcome the Institute for Standardization of Moldova (ISM) as the newest Member of the two European Standardization Organizations. The membership has been confirmed and will enter into force in January 2027.
As BSI approaches its 125th anniversary, the organization’s enduring impact is reflected in the standards and best practices it delivers through its 1,600 committees and 13,000 committee members, to help clients and stakeholders thrive in an increasingly complex global environment. From advancing responsible artificial intelligence and strengthening cybersecurity to supporting environmental protection and enabling smooth, resilient global supply chains, BSI’s standards continue to strengthen business practices, protect consumers, accelerate innovation, and enable global trade, creating tangible value for organizations and communities worldwide.
Reliable global hydrogen supply chains are essential for Europe’s future energy system. To support their development, German standardization organizations have launched the project “Standardization Roadmap for Hydrogen Derivatives and Technologies” (NRM H2Plus).
Standards Norway is strengthening its membership programme to build a broader and more engaged community around standardization. The initiative is based on a clear value proposition: members gain access to relevant insights and networks, practical benefits and training opportunities, and the possibility to influence framework conditions for their sector both nationally and internationally.
A working meeting of regional National Standardization Bodies (NSBs) was held in Sarajevo from 11 to 12 May 2026, bringing together representatives from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Montenegro. The meeting was hosted by the Institute for Standardization of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ISBIH).
The Academic Standards Day, held in Belgrade on 1 April 2026 and organized by the Institute for Standardization of Serbia, in cooperation with the Faculty of Organizational Sciences, gathered more than 120 participants, recording an exceptionally high level of attendance. The event generated significant interest among students to become acquainted with standards and their role in modern society.