D11 — Standardization Action Plans for Call 1 - executive summary

Full Text of the Deliverable is restricted to Copras Partners

This deliverable describes the expected collaboration between COPRAS and each IST project or cluster of projects that have been selected from IST Call 1. The collaboration, which involves specific activities by both COPRAS and the selected projects, is described using a tailored "Standards Action Plan' specific to each project and their standardization objectives. These Standards Action Plans have been prepared in collaboration with the selected projects and they lay out the relevant information concerning the target standardization bodies, the various assistance COPRAS will provide, and the expected actions of the selected projects. The Standards Action Plan represents the understanding between COPRAS and the selected projects concerning the collaborative steps to be taken to establish the interface with and successful adoption by standards bodies of the project research results.

Standards Action Plans for a total of sixteen IST projects have been developed. Two of the Standards Action Plans each address a cluster of four projects, and eight of the plans address individual projects. The sixteen projects that have collaborated with COPRAS in developing Standards Action Plans are the following:

These projects are representative of eight of the twelve Strategic Objectives available in IST Call 1. The actions described in the Standards Action Plans for each project are intended to lead to a more effective use of resources within the projects in achieving greater success in their standardization objectives.

The individual Standards Action Plans address a diverse set of standardization needs of the IST projects, and also a range of approaches and strategies towards standardization due to the dynamic nature of the standardization community. Three of the Standards Action Plans target the establishment of new standards grouping, while five plans address new or revised standards within existing standards groupings. Each plan includes specific action steps and schedules ranging from six to eight months in duration, which have also been consolidated into a rolling action plan as an Annex, for use by COPRAS in monitoring and managing progress.

The plans share a common structure, but each plan has been tailored to address the specific areas of interests, standardization objectives, industry situation, maturity of the research, and other aspects of the specific projects or clusters of projects. The COPRAS project anticipates that the experiences gained from collaboration with the selected IST projects in implementing the Standards Action Plans will form valuable inputs and identified best practices, which will be reflected in the Generic Materials being developed by COPRAS.