CIM 2021 – 20th International Metrology Congress – In measurement we trust

8 September 2021 – Round Table  “The Role of Metrology and Quality infrastructures in the transition to Industry 4.0”.

Maureen Logghe, President of EA and managing director of BELAC, the Belgium national accreditation body will be one of the speakers in the round table on “The Role of Metrology and Quality infrastructures in the transition to Industry 4.0”. This round table will see several actors from IOs and other organisations sharing their views on the role of Industry 4.0 initiatives, their impact on the development of Quality Infrastructure and examples of collaboration.

Key areas to be explored include: How do IOs coordinate to promote the benefits of engagement with Industry 4.0 initiatives? What are the most important needs in economies when it comes to metrology and standards? How does improved Quality Infrastructure advance trade opportunities and people’s quality of life?

To know more about the Congress and the roundtable : www.cim2021.com

Launched in Germany in the early 2010’s, the initiative “Industry 4.0” has been adopted by many countries, sometimes with a specific branding like “Smart manufacturing” in the US, “Made in China 2025”, “L’Usine du Futur” in France or “La fabbrica intelligente” in Italy.

In Europe, the European Commission (EC) developed a strategy with a double focus on ecology and digitalisation. The Covid-19 pandemic had an impact on the strategic agenda and the EC decided to speed up the transition notably in the digital area. Industry 4.0 concept is one of the pillars of the EC strategy for the mid-term objective to re-boost the economy.

What does it mean for us in EA?

At EA level, this translates into several actions such as EA’s involvement in standardisation work or EA’s support to the development of specific schemes such as the Cybersecurity act with the draft Common criteria based EU Cybersecurity Certification Scheme (EUCC) and the Draft EU Cloud Services Certification scheme (EUCS), or the regulations on Artificial Intelligence or drones such as the Delegated Regulation EU/2019/945 on unmanned aircraft systems and on 3^rd country operators of unmanned aircraft systems.

Creating a secure and reliable framework for the use of big data and personal data will also give accreditation bodies the relevant assurance towards their customers and help improve efficiency in the assessments.

More generally, EA’s involvement at all levels is there to support adaptation of the national, European and international Quality infrastructures. EA is an active partner of CEN/CENELEC in CEN/CENELEC initiative “Support of the African Quality Infrastructure” with support also by EURAMET, EC, EFTA in particular.

The concept of Industry 4.0 describes how the production processes should be re-organised in order to integrate new technologies like IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things), AI (Artificial Intelligence), additive manufacturing, robotics, etc. The expected benefits include an increase in: productivity maintenance efficiency, cost reductions and energy efficiency. Metrology, as a part of the industrial process, but conformity assessment in general is also impacted from acquisition, processing, to decision making.

In the accreditation field, the concept translates into real changes. Obviously the sanitary crisis reinforced the urgency to move forward quickly. The EA National Accreditation Bodies (NABs) have adapted their systems and developed the necessary procedures for conducting their assessments remotely and changing their information system to offer operational platforms to their customers to manage their accreditation files and data online. At European and international levels, discussions have led to develop relevant guidance for NABs when assessing remotely. IAF is developing a platform to access data on accredited certification bodies. EA, like the other regions, had to adapt quickly to be able to run the planned peer evaluations (PE) of accreditation bodies remotely. For regulators and consumers, it was critical to maintain confidence in the market and in a reliable multilateral agreement (MLA).

EA changed its rules and managed to complete the PE plan 2021. Based on successful experience, remote PE will continue to develop, hybrid peer evaluations are also being considered.

Going digital was imposed by the crisis which forced everyone to adapt and change. This was a success at the end with a real impact in future on the operations and practices. Pushed by the sanitary crisis, it is becoming a key growth factor. It will lead to reduce costs and increase efficiency.

Overall, several lessons can be learned: going digital confirms to be a key strategic objective, considering risks and cybersecurity risks and ensuring protection of data are new and fundamental components to be taken into account to establish a different model for operating. Adapting procedures and practices for remote peer evaluations and assessments, adapting information systems to support increased dematerialisation while protecting personal data, ensuring security and confidentiality is now a daily concern.

At EA level, the Board mandated an audit of EA Information System security and carried out penetration tests of its web site. The outcome was a set of recommendations aiming to reinforce further the system, from a technological and organisational points of view. The project of re-engineering the peer evaluation system will also lead to change the way we do things and develop a better use of technology.

But we should not forget the environmental side, the second focus of the European strategy. EA contributes its part to the European Green deal by adapting its model for meetings and being watchful of its carbon print. It was decided to limit the number of onsite meetings and have the main EA meetings in central venues enabling participants to limit their travel time and connections.

Overall, future challenges and opportunities facing us include: digital calibration certificates, remote accreditation, the evolution of the normative environment, ensuring metrology standards are contemporary and fit-for-purpose and how they interact with other quality standards.

International Organisations (IOs) have a key role to play in this revolution. Their normative and process standards contribute to the development and realisation of policies to create a fair environment to encourage trade and stimulate innovation. EA and national accreditation bodies play their role, in close cooperation with European and national regulators and standardisation bodies. The regular EA General Assembly meeting agendas illustrate this concretely!

A vast majority of EA NABs have changed their systems and, for instance, dematerialised the issuance of accreditation certificates in addition to being able to perform assessment remotely.

Now, having a look behind, a question may arise when considering the past months: is there not a risk to dehumanise what we do if we do not meet, peer evaluate and assess in person, if we reduce so much travels, if we restrict so much conditions for meeting and travelling, if we rely on drones and robots to collect data and sometimes take decisions for us?

We do not think so. Behind every machine there is always a human being: the designer, the maintenance officer or the user in charge of analysing or formalising the final decision. The machine will not be able to cover the whole chain on its own. But robots have already and will continue to facilitate our lives. In industry, they will limit impact on health by assisting operators in tasks causing tensions on the body. In the health sector, exoskeletons have been developed. They are changing the lives of injured persons and give them a chance to continue working and doing things normally with their colleagues and relatives.  These are only very few examples of many many others where technology is improving our life.

In all these areas, there are measurements, tests and other conformity assessments activities at stake. Obviously confidence in the results is here a must. It means that we, accreditors and EA have a key role to play with the other players of the infrastructure for quality. We, in EA are committed to take up the challenge.

In designing and implementing its Strategy 2025, during the crisis, EA and its members have proved to be reactive and innovative. This paves the way for positive progress in future.