The free trade of goods and services not only calls for political guidelines, but for norms and regulations to be recognised worldwide as well. It is often the case that developing and newly industrialised countries in particular do not have the resources to establish their own quality infrastructures (QI). An essential part of a QI…
We have entered the thematic year »African Year of Quality Infrastructure« with intense, exciting film work from East Africa: The film »Quality for Africa – how to trust the invisible« originates from there. One question was at the centre of this for us: How can people trust in the quality of something if they can’t…
Cooperation project is gaining speed – a 9-week deputation to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) The advancement of renewable energies is not only a focus of PTB’s work – the IRENA organization is also intensely involved with this topic. A solid foundation for cooperation: in May 2016, IRENA’s Innovation and Technology Centre and PTB’s…
By April 2017, Dr. Jeon from the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) will have been a guest at PTB for a period of five months. KRISS is a national metrology institute (NMI). Dr. Jeon studied physics and business administration. He has now been working at KRISS for over 30 years. He is…
In January, I had the opportunity to discover Myanmar during a two-week official trip. Myanmar is not only a popular destination for tourists, but is increasingly the focus of international cooperation. When I tell people that I am coordinating a project in Myanmar, I often look into their shiny eyes – and not only those…
Ministerial Conference: 2017 is the Year of Quality Infrastructure in Africa During the 9th Conference of African Union Ministers of Trade, the year 2017 was declared to be the African Year of Quality Infrastructure. This sober-sounding resolution signifies a high level of recognition: quality infrastructure (QI) – which is otherwise almost invisible – is now…
Since January 2016, PTB has supported the establishment of a national quality infrastructure for photovoltaics in Tunisia. In this context, PTB has cooperated with the Tunisian Ministry of Industry and Commerce and with the Agence Nationale pour la Maîtrise de l’Énergie (ANME – National Agency for Energy Management). Why is a national quality infrastructure necessary…
Why is the »green economy« relevant to Latin America and the Caribbean? What is the role of renewable energies and energy efficiency? These questions were discussed at the first »Green Quality Dialog« session on 4 November 2016. The event took place within the framework of the Latin American QI Expert Week. Tilman Altenburg from the…
Since November 2015, Barbara Siegmund has been head of the Sub-Saharan Africa Working Group within the Technical Cooperation Department of PTB. Barbara welcomes me to this interview with a candid look and a friendly smile. Her office on this snowy winter’s day is as tidy as it is every day. We put on our coats…
The Technical Cooperation of the PTB presented a panel discussion titled »Promoting renewable energies in Asia: The quality challenge« on the 49th anniversary of the Asian Development Bank. In 2016 it was the first time the event was hosted by Germany. For the event in Frankfurt we organised a seminar with a panel discussion. The…