Global Project Quality Infrastructure Newsletter

1. THREE QUESTIONS FOR Yves Leboucher, Advisor Standardisation at Global Project Quality Infrastructure (GPQI)

The normative environment of Industrie 4.0 has been specifically described in the German Standardization Roadmap. What is the motivation for this publication series and which effect does it have?

The German Standardization Roadmap Industrie 4.0 is a strategic-technical publication. It shows the status quo of national and international standardisation in the context of Industrie 4.0. In Germany, the concept of a standardisation roadmap is often used as a blueprint to analyse new or complex issues of standardisation - and to close standardisation gaps. Industrie 4.0 signifies a technological fusion of IT (Information Technology) and OT (Operational Technology). This leads to a significant overlap of previously separate areas of standardisation. Standardisation roadmaps, particularly the Standardization Roadmap Industrie 4.0, help to reduce the complexity of these overlaps. They facilitate navigation in the multi-layered world of standardisation. And they serve as a knowledge base for experts.

The sustainable development goals (SDGs) set clear requirements for the industry in terms of eco-standards and sustainable responsibility. What are the challenges and how can standards help address them?

Sustainable production requires modernisation of our linear economic system into a circular economy that uses resources instead of consuming them. Standardisation helps to build trust in new sustainable products and services. The application of a standard is a sustainability promise. It shows that a product or service is made according to uniform criteria and evaluation procedures. Standards create transparency and comparability. They enable consumers to make sustainable purchasing decisions. Moreover, they pave the way for innovative business models and facilitate market entry. Norms and standards ensure fair and uniform market conditions for all and prevent greenwashing.

How can both Industrie 4.0 and sustainability be implemented in an internationally harmonised quality infrastructure?

Industrie 4.0 is already part of international QI-Dialogues and implemented within the GPQI. Here, for instance, the Standardization Roadmap Industrie 4.0 serves as a central element for identifying the harmonisation topics. It is important to address quality infrastructure and sustainability together. Standards and product conformity are contributing to the green transformation. Within the GPQI dialogues, experts advocate for a circular economy in which standards and regulations promote safe and balanced economic development. To achieve this, digitisation, eco-design, and the use of data are essential. The implementation of a circular economy is challenging due to existing information asymmetries along value chains. Therefore, the industry needs a strong and comprehensive QI system that supports the development of sustainable technologies and innovations and brings in international best practices.

Yves Leboucher

2. EVENTS

5TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE GERMAN-MEXICAN WORKING GROUP ON QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE

2022-10-21, 15:00-17:00 (UTC+2 ) / 08:00-11:00 (UTC-5); Berlin/Online

The 5th Annual Meeting of the German-Mexican Working Group on Quality Infrastructure will take place on Friday 21 October 2022 from 15:00 to 17:00 (UTC+2) / 08:00 to 10:00 (UTC-5) in a hybrid format. Chaired by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and the Mexican Ministry of Economy, the meeting is set within the framework of the German-Mexican Dialogue on Quality Infrastructure. Experts from German and Mexican Industries, as well as representatives from QI institutions, will meet in order to define and agree upon the Work Plan 2023 that will shape the cooperation on Quality Infrastructure for the next year.

Please make sure to register here, until 19 October 2022. Further details and the agenda will be shared with the registered participants before the date of the event.

For any questions please contact GPQI Mexico. We look forward to welcoming you to the Annual Meeting.

3. NEWS FROM OUR PARTNER COUNTRIES

Standards for safe machinery protect people and the environment. © Алекке Блажин / Pexels

Second Indo-German Exchange on Global Production Language

Indo-German cooperation on Global Production Language. © Gorodenkoff - Shutterstock

2022-09-12

Quality infrastructure for effective climate protection

2022-09-06

One of the most urgent tasks of our time is the effective prevention of climate change. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) is organising a G7 conference on standardisation - a strategic instrument for climate protection. QI contributes to climate protection in many ways.
Read more...

German-Indonesian Exchange on Standards Development and Implementation

2022-08-26

The Global Project Quality Infrastructure (GPQI) organised a virtual exchange on “Standards Development and Implementation in Indonesia and Germany”. High-level speakers from the National Standardization Agency of Indonesia (BSN), the German Institute for Standardization (DIN) and the German Commission for Electrotechnical, Electronic & Information Technologies in DIN and VDE (DKE) discussed standard development in their respective countries.
Read more...

4. PUBLICATIONS

United in Quality and Safety – Bahasa Indonesia

The cover page of Pembakuan Mutu dan Keamanan. © BMWK

Now available in the Indonesian language - Bahasa Indonesia: The publication "United in Quality and Safety - An introduction to quality infrastructure in Germany and the European Union for policymakers and trade partners" illustrates how QI institutions in Germany and the EU work together. It provides an overview of the various components of QI: standardisation, conformity assessment and accreditation, metrology, and market surveillance. In addition, the system of product legislation in Germany and the EU is explained. Using concrete products as examples, the publication helps to understand how the different elements of QI contribute to high-quality, compliant products and services.

Find out more about QI in Germany and the European Union in this publication! You can read and download it in Bahasa Indonesia here.

Factsheet: Global Project Quality Infrastructure Indonesia

The cover page of the factsheet on GPQI Indonesia. © GIZ-GPQI

With over 17,000 islands and a population of over 260 million people, Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago and the fourth most populated country in the world. It ranks among the top 20 economies globally. Indonesia is one of 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Accounting for almost 40 per cent of regional GDP, Indonesia is host to the ASEAN Secretariat. In this context, Indonesia recently became a member of the world’s largest free trade agreement in November 2020 – the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Find out more about the work of GPQI in Indonesia in this factsheet! You can read and download it here.