Press releases

The basic principle of the A-series.
© DIN

Happy birthday, A4! Paper has been standardized according to the A-series for 100 years

( 2022-08-01 ) It fits in any printer, copier and folder — the world’s possibly best-known paper size is celebrating its 100th birthday. On 18 August 1922, the German Institute for Standardization (DIN) published the standard DIN 476 "Trimmed sizes of paper", and set a benchmark with sizes such as A4 and A5 that went on to become a model of success in almost all corners of the world. The specified dimensions have withstood the test of time to this day and are defined in the International Standard DIN EN ISO 216. From a chaotic array of sizes through to a standard Paper sizes have had a chequered history, with different approaches and specifications dating back to as early as the 14th century. In the late 18th century, the aspect ratio 1:√2 was proposed for the first time; a format that was apparently deemed as aesthetically pleasing, but which was to be soon forgotten again shortly afterwards. At the beginning of the 20th century, and after various developmental stages and attempts to ... More

DIN and DKE make great progress in achieving digital standards and standardization Cooperation with Russia at various levels suspended until further notice

( 2022-05-31 ) DIN and DKE have made great progress in developing digital standards. The joint IDiS (Digital Standards Initiative) network group has now described eleven cases that provide good examples of how to apply standards. The aim here is to identify the requirements that digital standards need to meet. The IDiS experts will be presenting their results in a new white paper at the Hannover Messe. Encouragingly, the idea of a national stakeholder group for SMART standards (IDiS) has also met with great international approval. For example, the International Organization for Standardization ISO and its counterpart for electrical engineering IEC are now paying increased attention to SMART standards. “We have gathered application cases from across Germany, and our European and international partners have followed suit. IDiS demonstrates how to make coordinated collaboration between standardization organizations and standard users a success. After all, we need a common understanding of SMART ... More

Standardization is driving climate protection efforts Publication of the 2022 German Standardization Panel’s results

( 2022-05-24 ) Standards are an important tool for tackling climate change; the results of the 2022 German Standards Panel, which is under the patronage of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), also reflect this. Dr. Franziska Brantner, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, explains, “Standards can make an important contribution to making a climate-neutral and sustainable economy a reality. They help companies to comply with technical regulations and open up new markets for climate-neutral and sustainable products.” She adds, “We can only succeed in the fight against climate change if we are part of an international alliance. This is why the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action is also focusing on standardization during the German G7 Presidency.” The study shows standards are key for tackling climate change and driving the green transformation. Around 75 percent of the companies surveyed ... More

Prof. Alexander Kurz, Executive Board Member and Vice President for Innovation, Transfer and IP Management at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and Christoph Winterhalter, DIN Executive Board Chairman, sign the cooperation agreement.
© Christian Kruppa

Stronger integration of standardization and research DIN and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft sign a cooperation agreement

( 2022-05-11 ) The German Institute for Standardization (DIN) and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft are further expanding their cooperation as regards standardization as a transfer instrument for future technologies. The two organizations have concluded a cooperation agreement to this end: Christoph Winterhalter, DIN Executive Board Chairman, and Prof. Dr. Alexander Kurz, Member of the Executive Board of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Vice President Innovation, Transfer and IP Management, and member of the DIN Presidial Board, signed the document on May 11, 2022, on the occasion of a meeting of the "DINalog" discussion series with members of the German Bundestag in Berlin. With this cooperation, Fraunhofer and DIN are also addressing the EU Standardization Strategy, which was published at the beginning of February 2022. The strategy aims to strengthen the EU's global competitiveness, facilitate the shift toward a resilient, green and digital economy, and embed democratic values in technology applications. More

Position of the DIN Group regarding the Ukraine crisis Cooperation with Russia at various levels suspended until further notice

( 2022-03-18 ) DIN is shocked by the current events in Ukraine. We strongly condemn the invasion of Russian troops in violation of international law. Our thoughts are with the people in Ukraine who have to fear for their lives, and all the innocent victims of this war. For this reason, we have suspended our cooperation with Russia at various levels. At the same time, we as the DIN Group are providing financial support and our employees are actively offering assistance in order to make at least a small contribution to alleviating the suffering of the people within the scope of our possibilities. Of course, we are also currently exchanging information on this topic with our European and international partners at CEN/CENELEC and ISO/IEC, and are coordinating our approach to standardization work with these organizations. So far, the following decisions have been made: CEN/CENELEC The Cooperation Agreement between CEN, CENELEC and the Russian standards body GOST R is suspended with immediate ... More

Successful kick-off event Standardization Roadmap AI: Work has begun on the second edition

( 2022-01-20 ) How can we increase trust in artificial intelligence, thus supporting the further development of this innovative technology? At the virtual launch event for the second edition of the German Standardization Roadmap Artificial Intelligence, DIN and DKE, together with the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWi), the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS), discussed this issue with around 600 experts and stakeholders from industry, society, politics and science. Strengthening trust in AI Dr. Daniela Brönstrup, Head of Department Digital and Innovation Policy at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection said: "Standards ensure quality, they create transparency and they protect consumers. Especially when it comes to the development and use of artificial intelligence, standards can reveal these strengths in a way that builds confidence. The continuation of the ... More

Global standards for digital agriculture

( 2022-01-12 ) An international advisory group of experts is developing a standardization roadmap on smart farming. While the world's population is growing, the consequences of climate change are also having an increasing impact on food production. Agriculture is therefore facing major challenges and pressure is increasing to become more productive and efficient. With its international supply chains, food production today functions globally, so its transformation must also take place globally. For this reason, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has set up the "ISO Strategic Advisory Group on Smart Farming" (ISO SAG Smart Farming) at the request of the German Institute for Standardization (DIN). Currently, this group is working on the first international standardization roadmap on the subject of smart farming - the use of modern information and communications technology in agriculture. All interested experts in Germany are invited to contribute via the DIN.ONE cooperation ... More

Christoph Winterhalter elected as ISO-Vice President Policy

( 2021-09-23 ) Today, DIN CEO Christoph Winterhalter was elected as new ISO-Vice President Policy by the ISO General Assembly. In this position he will be responsible for ISO’s Policy and Strategy. He will take on this additional role from January 1, 2022, initially for two years. “We are facing various changes around the world. The green and digital transformation offers us opportunities to make the economy and society around the globe more sustainable, safer and better. International standards are the foundation to make this possible. With the new ISO Strategy 2030, we have set a clear framework for our work. Now is the time to implement it together. In close cooperation with all ISO members, I will strive to achieve our goals,” said Christoph Winterhalter, describing his task. The ISO 2030 strategy was published in March 2021. It addresses three core elements from which implementation plans and projects are currently being developed: • Identifying global challenges early on and finding ... More

More climate protection through standards for resource conservation and the Circular Economy Kick-off for the German Standardization Roadmap Circular Economy

( 2021-09-15 ) Together with the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), the German Institute for Standardization (DIN) and the German Commission for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies (DKE) of DIN and VDE and the Association of German Engineers (VDI) announce the launch of the German Standardization Roadmap Circular Economy. The aim of the Standardization Roadmap is to provide an overview of the status quo of standardization in the field of the Circular Economy, to describe the requirements and challenges for seven key topics, and to identify possible concrete needs for action for future standards and specifications. For example, standards and specifications have so far not set any requirements for plastic recyclates for the manufacture of new products. Such requirements could lead to a wider user of recyclates. The Standardization Roadmap aims to identify and close these gaps in order to move closer towards a circular economy. More

Closing the plastics loop New specification published for commenting

( 2021-05-21 ) In future, DIN SPEC 91446 will set a uniform specification for the classification of recycled plastics based on the available data depth (data quality level) and corresponding labelling. It is now available in draft form for public commenting. More than 15 million tonnes of plastic currently end up in the world's oceans every year - illustrating the deficits in the recycling of this material. Processing plastic waste for reuse in products of equal or higher value is still a challenge today, and the use of high-quality recycled plastics is still more expensive on average than the use of virgin material. Standards and specifications on the assessment of plastic waste and recyclates are therefore needed that enable high-quality recycling and the economic use of secondary raw materials. DIN SPEC 91446 "Classification of recycled plastics by data quality levels for use and (digital) trading" offers an approach encompassing all different types of polymers, which is intended to ... More

Economic benefits

DIN SPEC

Why do standards cost money?

Get involved in standardization

Terminology

Press