An interactive seminar to showcase what initiatives CEN and CENELEC have taken in terms of strengthening the involvement of SMEs in the standardization process, took place in Brussels on 23 November.
Establishing the need to improve the access of SMEs to standardization and the participation of SMEs in the standardization process, was a common theme to the event.
A number of different projects were presented:
-
the ‘CEN – CENELEC SME Access to Standardization Project Study’;
-
the ‘SME Standardization Toolkit (SMEST) and the results of the SMEST workshops held in 11 member countries;
-
a CEN-CENELEC Working Group formed to produce guidance to help SME participation (and chaired by NORMAPME, the specialist association for involvement of SMEs in European standardization),
-
and an ETSI project helping SMEs to participate in communications standards issues.
Through these initiatives standards bodies are exploring ways to make it easier for SMEs to realise the benefits of standards, have better access to standards and make standards easier to understand.
Return to Winter 2009 Committee e-newsletter
