National Technical Specifications, a New Speedier Path to Standardization for Canadian innovators

Oct 18, 2019

The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) has released a faster and cost-competitive path to standardization that helps support cutting-edge innovators. The new National Technical Specifications (TS) tool was developed with the speed of innovation in mind and supports Canada’s Intellectual Property Strategy.

By examining international best practices, and consulting with national stakeholders in the standards development community, SCC has created a process to develop a TS. This process defines key development steps, provides guidance to developers, aligns with similar international deliverables, and brings consistency of terminology and development for these important documents.

Among its advantages, a TS can be developed more quickly than a National Standard of Canada (NSC). They are especially well-suited when technology or the regulatory environment is changing rapidly or because full consensus associated with an NSC may not be possible, however a certain degree of stakeholder agreement is achieved. The TS helps serve the national interest by providing the public with access to information such as establishing a common language for new concepts and technologies.

This is also a new mechanism for leveraging Canadian IP in the development of normative publications that are globally accepted, thereby facilitating access to new market opportunities for Canadian firms via licensing opportunities. As well, standardization strategies such as this one can help accelerate a company’s path to success by providing credibility, attracting investment and stimulating research and development. 

The content of a TS is developed by technical subject-matter experts under the direction of a developer who oversees the process and is subject to peer review. Safeguards are maintained by leveraging best practices and thanks to a sound project approval process involving technical experts using a consensus-based approach.

Work is already underway with SCC’s Innovation Initiative to help companies explore how they can leverage this new standardization option to support their trailblazing ideas. Companies in emergent industries that want to find out more about this and other standardization strategies are encouraged to get in touch with the contact person specializing in their sector.

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