Standards support innovation + growth

10/23/2009

Standardization – an efficient tool to ensure the transfer of innovative products and technologies into marketable products and services.

Brussels (19 October 2009) – The European Standardization Organizations (CEN, CENELEC and ETSI) took part in the first European Innovation Summit at the European Parliament on 13 and 14 October. Standards are one important tool to secure markets for innovative products and services, and their importance was addressed by speakers and from the floor in several summit sessions, for example on policy matters, international protection & enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights, and fostering EU global competitiveness.

Mr José Manuel Barroso, the President of the European Commission made reference to standards as enablers to bring innovation to the market in his keynote address at the welcome reception. 

In the opening address, the President of the European Parliament Mr Jerzy Buzek, mentioned that “since the Lisbon Agenda entered our vocabulary some ten years ago, Europe has aimed at becoming the leading knowledge-based economy in the world. The good news is, we succeeded; the bad news, it’s not enough. What we need is to learn not only to produce knowledge, but also how to transform it into innovations representing real added-value to our society and economy." (Foreword in the Summit programme brochure).

The European Standardization Organizations highlighted in various sessions and at their exhibition stand how they can help make Europe a global leader in innovation. The future European Innovation Act will undoubtedly stress the importance of standards in this respect, as did the 2008 Conclusions of the Council on standardization and innovation.

The European Standardization Organizations are actively seeking to improve the provision of platforms for efficient and effective standards-setting for the benefit of society as a whole - industry, public administrations, consumers, and other stakeholders.

For more information on how standards facilitate innovation, please see www.cen.eu, www.cenelec.eu. and www.etsi.org