Awareness-raising seminar for Croatian SMEs
On 11 October, SBS and HOK, the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts, organised a successful seminar in Zagreb. It aimed to raise awareness about standards and the importance of involving smaller businesses in the standardisation process, at European and international levels.
The seminar attracted around 50 participants, including experts and advisors from the Croatian Standards Institute and the Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Crafts. Together they discussed SMEs’ standardisation activities in the country, while a number of small business owners presented their real-life business experiences in this field.
It was concluded that although standards are costly, they are crucial for both medium and small-sized enterprises.
The seminar attracted around 50 participants, including experts and advisors from the Croatian Standards Institute and the Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Crafts. Together they discussed SMEs’ standardisation activities in the country, while a number of small business owners presented their real-life business experiences in this field.
It was concluded that although standards are costly, they are crucial for both medium and small-sized enterprises.
Singapore adopts a nationwide e-invoice system (including for SMEs)
Calling on a widely used European standard, Singapore has adopted its own e-invoice system. This new system should help companies across the country to speed up their transactions while minimising disputes, errors and operating costs.
Singapore’s authorities will use the Pan-European Public Procurement On-Line system (PEPPOL), a programme launched in 2008 under the auspices of the European Commission. PEPPOL is now used in Europe by 10 European countries and more than 110,000 public and private sector entities. In Singapore, the authorities will also launch a range of programmes – notably training sessions for SMEs – to help companies accelerate the pace of going digital and to compete better internationally. The goal is to assist businesses with implementing their digital strategies and to enhance the cybersecurity of local ICT technology solutions.
Singapore will become the first country outside Europe to adopt PEPPOL. Being interoperable, this system is compatible with any similar system, including non-European ones. This enables any company on the network to communicate with others.
Singapore’s authorities will use the Pan-European Public Procurement On-Line system (PEPPOL), a programme launched in 2008 under the auspices of the European Commission. PEPPOL is now used in Europe by 10 European countries and more than 110,000 public and private sector entities. In Singapore, the authorities will also launch a range of programmes – notably training sessions for SMEs – to help companies accelerate the pace of going digital and to compete better internationally. The goal is to assist businesses with implementing their digital strategies and to enhance the cybersecurity of local ICT technology solutions.
Singapore will become the first country outside Europe to adopt PEPPOL. Being interoperable, this system is compatible with any similar system, including non-European ones. This enables any company on the network to communicate with others.
IoT standardisation for SMEs featured at ETSI IoT Week 2018
In the Internet of Things (IoT) evolution, standardisation is key to facilitate the connection and communication of devices. The IoT promises billions of connected objects, which need a common language to run with an adequate, manageable and scalable level of complexity.
All this and more will be debated during IoT Week 2018, in ‘Standards & Technologies for the Smart World’. Organised by the European Telecommunication Standards Institute (ETSI), this event will take place on 22-26 October 2018 in Sophia Antipolis (France).
SBS expert Massimo Vanetti will attend the event and highlight the value of IoT standardisation for digital SMEs and SMEs as users. For digital SMEs, standardisation means reducing re-iteration of design and efforts intended to ensure interoperability. User SMEs also stand to benefit from IoT standards, which help when designing systems and reduce the need for closed proprietary solutions.
For more information about the event and to register, please click here.
All this and more will be debated during IoT Week 2018, in ‘Standards & Technologies for the Smart World’. Organised by the European Telecommunication Standards Institute (ETSI), this event will take place on 22-26 October 2018 in Sophia Antipolis (France).
SBS expert Massimo Vanetti will attend the event and highlight the value of IoT standardisation for digital SMEs and SMEs as users. For digital SMEs, standardisation means reducing re-iteration of design and efforts intended to ensure interoperability. User SMEs also stand to benefit from IoT standards, which help when designing systems and reduce the need for closed proprietary solutions.
For more information about the event and to register, please click here.
Delays possible for availability of harmonised standards supporting the PPE Regulation
During the Committee on Standards meeting on 15 October 2018, the European Commission Member States, CEN-CENELEC and Annex III organisations discussed the issuing of a new personal protective equipment (PPE) standardisation request. This request is vital for launching the development of a series of standards which will support the new PPE Regulation (EU) 2017/425.
The Commission offered reassuring words about the transparency, predictability and legal certainty of this standardisation request. However, several Member States opposed the proposal, calling for the Commission to clarify whether Member States will be able to modify the standardisation request according to their regulatory needs.
This has resulted in an unfortunate situation, whereby SMEs and other economic operators potentially face a lack of harmonised standards in the PPE sector. At the 15 October meeting, SBS voiced aloud the SME community’s concerns, but will keep monitoring the developments. At best, this situation could lead to a vote on the PPE standardisation request before the end of 2018.
The Commission offered reassuring words about the transparency, predictability and legal certainty of this standardisation request. However, several Member States opposed the proposal, calling for the Commission to clarify whether Member States will be able to modify the standardisation request according to their regulatory needs.
This has resulted in an unfortunate situation, whereby SMEs and other economic operators potentially face a lack of harmonised standards in the PPE sector. At the 15 October meeting, SBS voiced aloud the SME community’s concerns, but will keep monitoring the developments. At best, this situation could lead to a vote on the PPE standardisation request before the end of 2018.