COMPACT recent report provides an in-depth insight into i) Progress in the implementation of EU standardization policies; ii) Strengths and weaknesses of national, regional and international (pre)standardization organizational setting; iii) European digital industry position in a global context; iv) Distance from ethical universalism principle of equal power share in samples of standardization bodies at all levels; v) Participation, engagement and representation of SME’s in standardization processes in digital industry (i.e. inclusiveness of the process), and finally challenges that European economic space experiences due to the fact that European industry combined is no match to the U.S. private sector dominance in W3C that may decide the future of economies.
Brief summary of findings:
With all reservations expressed throughout our report, researchers are firm in their concerns that standardization policies and structure as it is, does not support the competitiveness of the European digital industries on a global scale. National representation in work of specific Technical Committees on European level is low, unequal, and disproportionate, and it is not inclusive to the new and potentially emerging startup community in this sector. National Standard Developing Organizations lack effort to reach out to small and medium enterprises across the spectrum. This reflects in low literacy on digital developments among average small or medium company in the European economic space, thus posing a threat that European economies may significantly suffer in the years to come. National standard developing organizations have conservative economic culture that is evidently outdated and not appropriate for application in the emerging digital markets. Lack of interest by national standard developing bodies in specific standardization processes (i.e. technical committees) on European and International level provide that many of the standards and consequently industry developments may go even unnoticed by them.
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