Special Issue: Feature Papers to Celebrate the Inaugural Issue of Standards

We are glad to present the inaugural issue of the Standards journal. The journal is a scientific journal on standardization, assessment, verification, inspection, certification, testing, quality control, rating, and all other related topics. It covers all scientific, engineering, and technology fields.

Standards can be international (ISO, IEC, WHO, EN, etc.), national (ASTM, DIN, BS, UNE, etc.), regional, or corporate ones. They cover production and consumption: management systems, security management, risk management, anti-bribery management systems, energy management, life cycle assessment, environmental management, social responsibility, occupational health and safety, food safety management, quality management, quality control, testing and calibration laboratories, quantities and units, and diverse devices and equipment, to mention the most popular ones [1]. They are basic for our everyday activities: ambient air and water quality, information security, date and time format, currency codes, country codes, language codes, and medical devices. International Accounting Standards (AS), International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), and 30 ISO standards, related to COVID-19, etc., exist [2].

In spite of the great number of different standards, new ones are appearing daily. The standardization process includes development, acceptance, and implementation of new or improved standards. The stakeholders can include companies, standardization institutions, governments, users, interest groups, professionals, and scientists. The International Organization for Standardization, ISO, has a guidance document on new work with three parts: (1) new standardized areas, (2) new fields of work, and (3) new work item proposals within existing committees [3]. New standards need to be inspected and verified, their quality has to be assessed, and they can be improved if found suitable.

Besides the technical standards, other standards, norms, conventions, and requirements exist, e.g., credentials, certificates, patents, permits, etc. They are improving quality, reliability, efficiency, durability, and other properties of goods and services. They can be voluntary or obligatory, and used internally or externally.

A rapid development of standards is expected in the future. Climate change, with the planned carbon neutrality by 2050, population growth, and demographic trends will require rigorous changes in the way we live, eat, dress, travel, and produce and use energy. Scarce raw materials and renewable energy sources will demand higher energy efficiency and a circular economy with materials reuse. Standardization will play an important role in process and product design, production, distribution, consumption, and recovery.