Enterprise Singapore (ESG) and the Singapore Standards Council (SSC) have developed and reviewed over 168 Singapore Standards and Technical References, impacting 13,000 organisations over the past year.
91 of these standards were new, with close to 70% focused on emerging areas most of which were in smart manufacturing to support Industry 4.0 adoption.
The standards continue to build trust and confidence in Singapore’s products and services for businesses and consumers.
As well as focusing on new and emerging areas in 2020, the ESG and SSC will also focus on addressing industry needs and national initiatives by developing standards that build sustainable and resilient industries and enterprises.
Standards mitigate the disruptive impact of COVID-19 and bolster recovery efforts
Ms Choy Sauw Kook, Director-General (Quality & Excellence), Enterprise Singapore, said, “Standards are an essential part of the global commerce infrastructure and can provide companies with a competitive edge in the international marketplace. Beyond supporting our daily lives, standards have also improved market access for many Singapore companies and enable them to retain an edge even as new innovations and technologies are rolled out.”
“Today, standards support business resilience, continuity planning and sustainable practices. As we move into a new normal, close partnerships with industry, government and academia will be crucial so that we can continue to develop standards that meet business, industry and market needs, even as we gear up in our recovery efforts.”
COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of standards that focus on resilience for businesses to adapt quickly to disruptions. It has also emphasised the importance of the need for resource sustainability.
ESG and the SSC have made over 40 international and Singapore standards across different areas to help enterprises mitigate the impact of COVID-19 available for viewing free of charge.
The SSC will develop standards on business continuity and supply chain, ICT and infrastructure, and healthcare solutions to enhance resilience in enterprises.
Developing standards alongside current advancements in science and technology
As the SSC continues to develop standards that support Singapore’s industry transformation efforts, emphasis on emerging areas will continue.
In 2020, green standards encompassing renewables, energy efficiency and storage will be developed to support Singapore’s shift to a low carbon future. Standards on sustainable food production will also be developed to guide enterprises on the sustainable use of environmental resources.
Currently, Singapore is leading a number of ISO and IEC3 Working Groups, in areas such as smart transportation by autonomous vehicles on public roads, the harmonisation of waste management terms used globally, and bunkering of marine fuel using mass flow meter.
As leaders in these areas, industry stakeholders from Singapore are involved in setting global benchmarks and guidelines to support Singapore enterprises in the global markets.
Mr Robert Chew, Chairman of the Singapore Standards Council, said, “Our standards development efforts have changed over the years, not just creating standards after new technologies have emerged, but also developing standards alongside current advancements in science and technology. This allows the standards to plug market gaps and support the commercialisation or use of new products, services and systems.”