The EA President, Maureen Logghe, participated on 12 March in the Quality Infrastructure in a Digital World roundtable at the CIM – International Metrology Congress.
Cristina Draghici (ISO – International Organization for Standardization) posted several questions to Maureen Logghe. Here is a summary of each.
How has accreditation changed to keep up with the needs of a fast-evolving market? Is today the accreditation community prepared to attest competence of CABs, when inspections are based on monitoring with drones or certifications made on digital twins rather than the physical product itself? What aspects of the transformation are working well? What challenges remain and how are these challenges being addressed?
The level of digitalization differs widely from sector to sector and area to area. In the chemical testing and especially in medical testing, testing and reporting is digitalized and has been for the last 10-20 years in many countries. This has been addressed continuously based on the requirements in the standards (ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO 15189) and not been problematic. In testing and calibration in general the preferred reporting mechanism today is a pdf and for some cases even digital transfer of data (in excel or other more specific database formats/protocols). It may also be relevant that in some areas of testing a test is replaced by a calculation (e.g. beams for construction and propagation of noise).
Looking into the future, how can the accreditation community push the boundaries and lead the way to adapting to new technologies and promote innovations in QI?
Accreditation bodies strive to ensure that standards keep pace with technological advancements rather than hinder them. This is evident in ISO/IEC 17011, which introduced a definition of remote assessments as early as 2017, and in the flexible approach to IT-related requirements in ISO/IEC 17025. Today, accreditation bodies are working hard to support the rise of genomic and molecular testing, where traditional boundaries in testing processes are shifting. They continuously push the limits, adapting to innovations such as smart sensor networks, AI-powered quality control, virtual inspections, and blockchain for certification tracking.
The conformity assessment landscape is evolving alongside market needs, from digital twins in automotive safety testing to AI-enhanced environmental impact assessments. Accreditation bodies themselves are embracing digital tools, using AI for document reviews and expanding remote evaluations. However, while the future of accreditation is undeniably digital, challenges remain. Technical competence must keep up with rapid advancements, and the acceptance of new technologies by regulators, consumers, and stakeholders will determine how quickly these innovations can be fully integrated. There is much to consider as we move forward.
Are current standards, the ISO CASCO Toolbox, flexible enough for today’s conformity assessment needs, or should new approaches be considered? Could you please explain how does it work for DCCs in particular?
The ISO CASCO toolbox remains effective, particularly after updates like the ISO/IEC 17025 revision, which modernized the language around electronic reporting. While the toolbox is still fit for purpose, the rapid evolution of AI presents new challenges. Specific testing procedures and measurands for AI systems must be scientifically developed and standardized, as standard-setting often lags behind technological advancements.
Accreditation bodies recognize the complexity of AI conformity assessment. While non-complex AI systems can be certified under existing standards, complex AI requires indirect assessments focusing on management systems and monitoring activities. Rather than introducing new certification standards, the focus should be on developing AI-specific schemes under ISO/IEC 17067 and refining measurands for key factors like bias and robustness. Standardization and scientific validation are crucial to ensuring objective, reproducible results, reinforcing the importance of ongoing work in academia and regulatory bodies.
Digital Calibration Certificates (DCCs) must always comply with accreditation standards, even in machine-readable formats. The PTB scheme ensures structural compliance, but content accuracy remains the responsibility of the Conformity Assessment Body (CAB). Machine-readable result reports are allowed under all ISO CASCO Toolbox accreditation standards, provided they use standardized semantic structures, which can be developed by professional associations and assessed by accreditation bodies (ABs). To ensure authenticity and integrity, DAkkS, the German NAB, developed a machine-readable digital accreditation symbol that links DCCs to accredited CABs via a secure digital signature. This allows automated verification, enabling machines to confirm accreditation validity in real time. A 2023 pilot project with PTB and BAM demonstrated the effectiveness of issuing DCCs as eAttestations. In summary, DCCs are viable as long as they meet accreditation standard requirements.
Many thanks to the speakers Martin Michelot (TIC Council), Sascha Eichstädt (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, PTB), Patrick Mongillon (EOQ, European Organization for Quality), Hussain Hadi and Cristina Draghici (ISO – International Organization for Standardization) for the fruitful exchange.
Watch the video to get an overview of the conference