During the first two weeks of June, Javier García, Director General of UNE and Vice-President of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), participated in several meetings of the governing bodies of ISO and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
Firstly, he participated in the ISO Council meetings in Copenhagen, organised by the Danish standards body, Danish Standards. The importance of providing the global market with international standards that provide solutions to global challenges, especially those related to ESG (environmental, social and governance) objectives, was discussed.
Then, as Chair of the ISO Technical Management Board (TMB), he led the meetings held in Geneva. Among topics discussed were guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence, inclusive terminology, climate change, digital transformation, the development of online standards (OSD) and strengthening alliances with key partners.
The cycle of working meetings was brought to a close by the joint meetings of the ISO (TMB) and IEC (SMB) Technical Boards, where both IEC Vice-President Vimal Mahendru and ISO Vice-President Javier Garcia called for further strengthening the basis for coordinated actions between ISO and IEC to develop standards that are the tools to meet the challenges of society.
Spanish standardisation is a world leader. Several Spanish experts hold leading positions in the governing bodies of international and European standardisation organisations and hold more than 150 responsibilities in technical bodies, headed by Javier García. In addition, there are an increasing number of Spanish UNE standards that serve as a basis for the development of global standards.
These responsibilities place Spain as a leader in standardisation in fields as diverse as tourism, healthcare, renewable energies, smart cities, electrical and electronic products, footwear, sustainable construction, heat pumps and barbecues, among others.
Numerous international and national studies have shown that standards have economic benefits. An ISO study concludes that the contribution of standards to the gross profit of companies implementing them is up to 5% of their annual sales revenue. In addition, standards contribute to a 13% improvement in productivity and a 7% reduction in business costs in Spain, according to another study by the Spanish Institute of Economic Studies (IEE). From a macroeconomic point of view, the contribution of technical standards to Spain's economic growth is estimated at 1% of GDP, a percentage very similar to that of the most advanced countries in our region, according to several international studies.
These data reflect the importance of leading international and European standards, which have a direct effect on increasing international trade, boosting the competitiveness of the Spanish productive fabric and improving the Spain Brand.
