Standardisation in the European manufacturing sector: needs, obstacles AND best practices

Abstract This paper aims at understanding whether and how the European manufacturing sector can better implement standards. It argues that despite the understudy of standardisation in the manufacturing sector, new innovative technological developments force academics and practitioners alike to re-examine the relevance, the benefits and challenges of standards, from policy to implementation. The paper leverages information gathered for the purposes of the “Boosting the Exploitation of Standardisation Inputs from European Projects” (STAND4EU) project, where various standardisation stakeholders were surveyed to understand their views on the barriers in the development and adoption of standards, providing their suggestions for best practice in standardisation. Grounded under the Standards Development Lifecycle, and based on the respondents’ views, the study ultimately proposes a remediation plan to support standardisation policymaking. Therefore, this paper advances the discourse on international standards development and application, promoting the improvement of regulatory frameworks and the advancement of knowledge in standardisation.