The Impact of International Standardization

Dr. Axel Nawrocki, Hansa Luftbild AG

9/19/2008
(Original Publish Date: 8/13/2005)

Standardization is a vital part of practical industrial policy. Standards provide the general public with information on important technical and organizational features. They describe a consensus on technical and organizational solutions for products and services as well as systems and processes. Standards help create interoperable products, define equal requirements for production processes, set comparable quality criteria or stipulate systems for the management. Thus standards promote understanding, interoperability and compatibility, contributing towards rationalization and a high level of quality for products and services. Standards serve as proof of quality and support the flow of information and management along the value chain. They are the link between the national and especially the international division of labour. They are therefore of particular importance for the competitiveness of an industry that is very focused on exports. Standardization does not just facilitate the transfer of knowledge but also the opening up of markets.