Standards: Strategic for Innovation
Insights from our new Project Coordinator
One month into her role as Standardisation Project Coordinator, Gertrude Kignelman has already taken part in several CEN and ISO working group meetings, covering a broad range of topics including bio‑based products, floor coverings, and geosynthetics. This early experience has highlighted one core insight:
Standards are not the icing on the cake.
They are the mould that shapes the cake.
Like many young innovators coming from academic environments and start‑up competitions, Gertrude initially focused on building the best possible product—prioritising features, novelty, and differentiation. Compliance, certification, and market readiness felt secondary. Today, that perspective has shifted.
Why standardisation matters
Standards do more than define how products are built.
They determine how products access markets.
A product that does not meet the necessary standards is not merely incomplete - it may never reach customers at all.
Key learnings from the first month
Working at the intersection of research, industry, and standardisation has made one thing clear:
standardisation is a strategic tool, not a regulatory hurdle.
Standards shape:
- How innovation is framed
- What acceptable performance looks like
- How trust in emerging technologies is built
Benefits of embracing standards early
- Faster time to market: Ready-made frameworks reduce redesign cycles and testing delays.
- Built-in credibility: Standards signal reliability, especially critical for early-stage companies.
- Access to bigger opportunities: Public tenders and large-scale projects often require compliance from the outset.
- Smarter innovation: With the baseline defined, companies can focus on meaningful differentiation.
Risks of neglecting standardisation
- Strong products can fail mandatory testing.
- Non-compliance can block required certifications such as CE marking, hindering EU market entry.
- Sustainability and digital requirements become costly and complex when added too late.
How to integrate standardisation early in development
- Analyze relevant standards before prototyping.
- Translate standards into design inputs and determine minimum viable compliance.
- Design with conformity in mind, avoid retrofitting later.
- Document from the start, particularly for CE marking.
- Follow developments in relevant technical committees.
- Treat compliance as a feature, not an afterthought.
Conclusion
Standards are not bureaucracy.
They form the framework that enables innovation to scale.
The most successful innovations are not only technically strong, they are built to thrive within the system they enter.
With thanks to
Challenge
