At a time when Europe needs more innovation in order to remain competitive on the global stage, standardization can be a bridge between research and innovation, and can provide a strong contribution to the creation of economic values.
Both at EU level, and within the European Standards Organisations there is a strong support to reinforce the links between research and standardization.
At EU Level
There is a wide support from all EU institutions to the reinforcement of links between Research/Development/Innovation and Standardization.
This link is recognised in key political documents from all EU institutions, for example in the Communication on the “Innovation Union” within the EU 2020 Strategy, where the European Commission states that “Standards play an important role for innovation”.
It is also referenced in the June 2011 Communication of the European Commission “A strategic vision for European Standards: Moving forward to enhance and accelerate the sustainable growth of the European economy by 2020”.
A list of key policy documents can be consulted online.
CEN and CENELEC actions
The numerous EU policy initiatives calling for more links between research and standardization have been well taken into account by CEN and CENELEC. In order to address the challenge, the CEN and CENELEC Technical Boards agreed in October 2008 on the creation of a joint strategic Working Group to address Standardization, Innovation and Research, in short: 
STAIR. The Group prepares strategic advice to the two Technical Boards in order to reach an integrated approach between research and innovation and standardization.
As a result, STAIR has defined the so-called “Integrated Approach” between Research and Standardization. The Integrated Approach will ensure that standardization is integrated in Research and Innovation.
Here is a scheme describing the Integrated Approach:
The Integrated Approach aims at:
- raising awareness of the benefits of standardization in the research and innovation process;
- transferring research results and outcomes of innovation activities into standardization;
- fully exploiting the functions of standards for research and innovation activities in order to
increase the competitiveness of the EU
STAIR is very much involved in the reflection around HORIZON 2020 (the future EU Framework for
Research and Innovation) and has therefore provided an answer to the consultation of the
European Commission on the future Framework for Research and Innovation.