Events
SBS provides opportunities for learning and networking in the area of standardisation. Check out our upcoming seminars, workshops and events.
Event Calendar
Upcoming events
Past events
Info-Webinar SBS Call for Experts (2025)
Each year, SBS appoints experts to represent the interests of SMEs in European and international standardisation committees. Experts are appointed to CEN, CENELEC and ETSI committees at the European level and to ISO and IEC committees at the international level. This year, the open call will be launched in the last week of June 2024. […]
SMEs and Innovation Ecosystem Management
SMES AND INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT Tuesday 21 May, 14.00 – 16.30 Online/SBS headquarters (Brussels) Small Business Standards (SBS), in collaboration with ISO TC279/WG3 on innovation management tools and methods, organised two workshops and panel discussions to explain the standardisation work being carried out by this ISO Technical committee and have an exchange with SMEs and […]
SMEs and innovation investments management
Small Business Standards (SBS), in collaboration with ISO TC279/WG3 on innovation management tools and methods, organised two workshops and panel discussions to explain the standardisation work being carried out by this ISO Technical committee and have an exchange with SMEs and SME representatives to better understand their needs and ensure the development of relevant international […]
Meeting Standards
SBS is organising the second edition of Meeting Standards from 25 to 29 November 2024. Meeting Standards is a campaign to raise awareness among SMEs and SME organisations about the importance of standardisation and getting involved in the standards writing process. Moreover, the aim is to inform SMEs about the latest developments in standardisation that […]
Driving Inclusiveness In Standardisation: How To Strengthen National Participation?
On 5 June, SBS and CEN-CENELEC are co-organising a workshop with the support of the Belgian FPS Economy. The goal of the workshop, organised under the High-Level Forum on European Standardisation (HLF) and its workstream on inclusiveness in national Standardisation, is to tackle issues of access and participation in Standardizationat the national level and discuss and promote best practices.
Webinar To Introduce SBS’ Call For Experts 2024
SBS published an open call for experts to recruit technical experts to represent small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in standardisation.
SMEs And Smart Manufacturing – Standards As Accelerators Of Industry Change
Meeting Standards is a campaign to raise awareness among SMEs and SME organisations about the importance of Standardisation and getting involved in the standards writing process.
European Standardisation Panel Survey
Discover the European Standardisation Panel Survey! 16 November 2023 14.00-14.45H Online The European Standardisation Panel Survey is an initiative launched by the European Commission. The survey identifies the industry’s demand for standards, helps to assess how research and innovation framework programmes tackle such needs and raises awareness of the importance of standardisation. The survey is […]
Meeting Standards
Meeting Standards is a campaign to raise awareness among SMEs and SME organisations about the importance of standardisation and getting involved in the standards writing process. Moreover, the aim is to inform SMEs about the latest developments in standardisation that may be of relevance to them.
SBS Lift Forum 2023
The new Machinery Regulation and its impact in the lift sector The SBS Lift Forum is a European platform for discussion and sharing of information about ongoing lift standardisation activities that are relevant to SMEs. This year, the SBS Lift Forum will be organised in the framework of the Interlift Fair in Augsburg (Germany). Interlift is the […]
How to ensure the Digital Product Passport empowers SMEs
On 21 June, SBS organised a hybrid workshop to explore the potential impact of the Digital Product Passport (DPP) on SMEs.
Growing your business with innovation management standards
On Thursday 1 June, SBS organised a webinar on innovation management standards, particularly the ISO 56000 family of standards, and their potential impact on SMEs. The panellists discussed the specificities of innovation management standards and the benefits and challenges for European SMEs in implementing them. Furthermore, participants had the opportunity to listen to the testimonial […]
US-EU Trade & Technology Council (TTC) SME Webinar
On 13 December, SBS will be speaking in a session focused specifically on resources for SMEs in a webinar organised by the US-EU Trade & Technology Council (TTC) SME Webinar on "How Standards help SMEs to Innovate, Compete, and Grow". Find all the details regarding the programme and registration on the dedicated webpage.
Harmonised standards to facilitate the access to and availability of “instructions and special tools” at lift installations
SBS Lift Forum 2022 Harmonised standards to facilitate the access to and availability of “instructions and special tools” at all lift installations 23 November 2022 – 10.30H (hybrid event) The 2022 edition of the SBS Lift Forum, an event that every year brings together experts, stakeholders and SMEs in the lift sector, revolved around […]
Standardisation for Smart Textiles
SBS Webinar Standardisation for Smart Textiles 21 November 2022, 09:30 – 11:00 (Online) An increasing number of smart textiles products are gradually entering the market. Smart Textiles are defined as textiles “that interact with their surroundings and able to able to react and adapt to an environment stimulus, whether it is electrical, thermal, chemical, or magnetic.” For […]
European Accessibility Act and Standards – What SMEs need to know
Meeting Standards is a campaign to raise awareness among SMEs and SME organisations about the importance of standardisation and getting involved in the standards writing process.
SBS Forum 2022 on PPE and Textile Care – From dual use to multi use
SBS Forum 2022 on PPE and Textile Care standardisation in the PPE sector – From dual use to multi-use 19 October, 10:00 – 13:00 (online) The European Commission’s vision for leadership in digital transformation and green transition (twin transition) is reflected its legal proposals either as new legislation proposals or revision of existing legislations, such […]
SBS ICT Forum 2022 “Digital Sovereignty – Towards a vibrant SME ecosystem”
Europe’s 2030 digital targets entails a set of specific objectives that aims to enable Europe’s digital transformation and leadership, while encapsulating European fundamental values. Subsequently, these targets are supported by a set of legislative acts such as the AI Act, the Digital Markets Act, the Digital Services Act, the Data Act, the Chips Act, the Cyber Resilience Act; and a revision of established legislation such as the NIS 2 Directive, the Radio Equipment Directive, the Machinery regulation, and the eIDAS regulation. In addition, a European Standardisation Strategy was released in February to strengthen Europe’s leadership in standardisation and align standards towards European values. Such work leads towards a transformation of an “open but naive” Europe, as mentioned by Commissioner Breton, to a digitally sovereign Europe. A Europe that has “mastery and ownership of key technologies in Europe ”.
Webinar on SBS’ call for Experts 2023
Every year SBS publishes an open call for experts to recruit technical experts to represent small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in standardisation.
SMEs setting the standard for sustainable products
On 30 March 2022, the European Commission presented a package of initiatives to ensure that all products placed on the EU market become more sustainable. One of the main initiatives included in the package is a proposal for a new Regulation on Ecodesign for sustainable products. Considering that product design determines up to 80% of […]
“EU Standardisation Strategy – Reinforcing Europe’s role in global standards-setting”
The new Standardization Strategy presented in February by the European Commission is a vital opportunity for an increased role of SMEs in Standardization and outlines a series of crucial measures regarding the role of standards in promoting EU sovereignty and the governance and inclusiveness of the European Standardization system.
SBS National Seminar in the Netherlands
On 14 December, MKB-Nederland organised an online seminar to inform and train Dutch entrepreneurs about the benefits of standards and to foster exchange of views between representatives and stakeholders of the Dutch standardization system.
2021 SBS Lift Webinar
SBS Lift Webinar Updates on lift standardisation 14 December 2021 On 14 December, SBS is organising the SBS Lift Webinar to give lift SMEs a comprehensive overview of the 2021 technical updates and the developments for the years to come. The webinar will be the opportunity for the participants to meet our technical experts […]
Training on the “Revision of the Machinery Directive, standards and conformity assessment – What SMEs need to know”
SBS TRAINING Revision of the Machinery Directive, standards and conformity Assessment – What SMEs need to know 16 November 2021 10.00-12.00H CEST In April 2021, the European Commission proposed a new regulation to replace the current Machinery Directive. The Machinery Directive and the new regulation cover a wide range of products that go from agricultural […]
SBS Forum 2021 on PPE and Textile Care
With regard to digitisation of the sector and in relation to circulatory, the Digital Product Passport initiative demonstrates the use of digitisation and ICT standards in tracing PPE and Textile raw material to ensure transparency along the supply chain. For example, enabling technologies such as Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology can increase trust among the supply chain actors with accurate information regarding the quality of the raw material and manufacturing processes. This would also ensure adherence to reusability, recyclability, and repairability requirements. Hence, ICT standards for the support of circularity can enable other sectors to achieve circularity goals in faster and efficient manner, as highlighted by the report on ICT Standardization supporting Circular Economy
SBS ICT Forum 2021 – Empowering SMEs to lead ICT Standardisation for the Twin Transition
SMEs in different sectors need to build up expertise, capabilities and partnerships to reap the benefits of sustainable digital transformation. In many sectors, SMEs can use enabling technologies to redesign their processes and become green(er). For that, Europe needs to build on ecosystems and partnerships to manage the twin transition. Partnerships and exchanges between the digital and traditionally non-digital sectors are crucial to ensure Europe’s success and sovereignty in the future. ICT standards for the support of twin transitions play an important role in building such ecosystems and create synergies for collaboration among different sectors to reach sustainability goals.
SBS call for experts webinar
Every year SBS publishes an open call for experts to recruit technical experts to represent small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in standardisation. In the context of this year’s call to recruit experts, SBS organised a webinar on 2 September 2021 to present the content of the call and answer questions from potential applicants. The […]
SBS Lift Forum on Building Information Modelling
SBS Lift Forum “Building Information Modelling (BIM) in the lift sector” This year’s Lift Forum, organised by SBS’ lift member EFESME, is intended as a first introduction to the BIM methodology in the lift sector. The aim of the forum is be to explain what BIM is, how it is currently used and how […]
SBS Annual Conference – SMEs as drivers of green growth: Turning challenges into opportunities with standards
Aspiring to become the world’s first climate-neutral continent, the European Commission launched the European Green Deal setting out an ambitious environment policy agenda for the coming years. SMEs make up 99% of all businesses in the EU and thus they are an essential partner of the EU to steer our economy towards a circular model. […]
EU-UK trade agreement: A practical guide for SMEs
EU-UK trade agreement: A practical guide for SMEs SBS-SMEunited workshop 4 May 2021 14.00 – 15.45H CEST Following the exit of the UK from the EU and the new EU-UK trade deal, European companies wishing to do business in the UK will need to adapt to a new set of rules. From 1 January 2021 […]
Annual Conference – How can standards support SMEs to benefit from the data economy?
How can standards support SMEs to benefit from the data economy? VIRTUAL CONFERENCE 29 September 2020 – 13.30-16.15 CEST Building the data economy is key to achieving a “Europe fit for the digital age”, one of the main priorities of the new European Commission. Data access, sharing and exchange between different players in the […]
Standardisation – Best practices to involve SMEs
Small Business Standards has the pleasure to invite you to the fourth edition of the SBS Twinning seminar which will take place on 21 February from 10.00 to 12.30AM and will be organised with the support of SMEunited, the Association of Crafts and SMEs in Europe. The objective of this seminar is to raise […]
Standardisation – Best practices to involve SMEs
Small Business Standards has the pleasure to invite you to the fourth edition of the SBS Twinning seminar which will take place on 21 February from 10.00 to 12.30AM and will be organised with the support of SMEunited, the Association of Crafts and SMEs in Europe. The objective of this seminar is to raise awareness […]
Awareness raising seminar in Paris (France)
Awareness raising seminar in Paris “Prendre en compte les intérêts et les besoins des petites entreprises artisanales comme facteur de succès du système français et européen de normalisation” 27 November 2019 CMA France, 12 ave Marceau, 75008 Paris On 27 November, Small Business Standards and CMA France, the French Assembly of Crafts Chambers, are organising […]
Closing the Loop! Promoting Circular Economy Models in Personal Protective Equipment
Closing the Loop! Promoting Circular Economy Models in Personal Protective Equipment 24 October 2019 SME Safety, rue du Commerce 123, 1000 Brussels How can European SMEs benefit from standards setting in the Personal Protective Equipment industry and at the same time promote sustainable economy models? The SBS Forum on PPE, taking place on 24 […]
SBS ICT Forum
SMEs, Standards, and the Cybersecurity Act: A new Cybersecurity Certification Framework for Europe 23 October 2019 Rue Joseph II 20, 1000 Brussels The “SBS Forum on ICT standards for SMEs” is a European platform for discussion and sharing of information about ongoing ICT standardisation activities that are relevant to SMEs. The main target audience of […]
SBS Lift Seminar
SBS Lift Seminar 17 October 2019 Augsburg, Germany On October 17, SBS and EFESME will organise the 2019 edition of the SBS Lift Seminar, during the Interlift Fair, in Augsburg (Germany). The event will show how cybersecurity is becoming gradually more important in the lift sector, present some of the risks, opportunities and difficulties smaller […]
Annual conference: Standards for Europe’s sustainable growth
Standards for Europe’s sustainable growth Wednesday, 22 May 2019 BIP, Brussels #Standards4SMEs Sustainability has become a key priority for Europe and its SMEs. This year’s SBS annual conference therefore focuses on how SMEs contribute to two of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG): SDG 11 on sustainable cities and communities and SDG 12 on […]
SBS Forum on ICT standardisation
SBS Forum on ICT standards for SMEs “Open standards in ICT procurement” 23 January 2019 Rue du Commerce 123, B-1000 Brussels The “SBS Forum on ICT standards for SMEs” is a European platform for discussion and sharing of information about ongoing ICT standards activities that are relevant to SMEs. The Forum focuses particularly on digitisation of […]
IP Dispute Resolution for SMEs
IP Dispute Resolution for SMEs 22 January 2019 SBS, 1st floor, rue Jacques de Lalaing 4, B-1000 Brussels Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms such as mediation and arbitration can offer swifter and less costly dispute resolution. While there can be no obligation for parties to recur to such mechanisms, the potential benefits of this tool […]
National seminar in Lisbon
SME Growth, Competitiveness and Innovation 12 December 2018 AIP Presidents’ Hall – Praça das Indústrias – Lisbon On 12 December 2018, Small Business Standards and AIP are organising a national seminar to raise awareness about standards and to inform and train Portuguese Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) about the advantages that can benefit SMEs in […]
Twinning seminar
Twinning seminar 20 November 2018 Graz (Austria) Small Business Standards has the pleasure to announce its twinning seminar organised with the support of the Wirtschaftskammer Österreich (WKÖ), the Austrian Standards International – standardisation and Innovation (ASI) and the Slovenian Institute for standardisation (SIST). The twinning exercise will allow ASI and SIST to share and identify good […]
SBS Forum on PPE and Textile Care standardisation
SBS Forum on PPE and Textile Care standardisation November 7th, 2018 SME Safety – 123, Rue du Commerce – 1000, Brussels The Forum is a means to discuss the coordination of standardisation activities at CEN, ISO and EU level so to identify SME standardisation needs in the domain of PPE and Textile Care. The Forum […]
The use of standards in policy: is there an elephant in the room?
The use of standards in policy: is there an elephant in the room? A Workshop to explore the possible implications of the James Elliott and other Court cases on the way policy-makers perceive and use standards in European laws and policies. 12 June 2018 European Economic and Social Committee (JDE70 room) Small Business Standards […]
6 June – National seminar in Cologne
National seminar in Cologne Review of CEN TC 53 and Erasmus Plus, European training standards 6 June 2018 Cologne (Germany) Small Business Standards and UEG, the Union of European Scaffolding Contractors, are pleased to invite you to attend a seminar on standardisation on 6 June in Cologne. The first part of the day will be devoted […]
30 May – Annual Conference: Standards: A gateway for SMEs to the European Single Market and beyond?
Standards: a gateway for SMEs to the European Single Market and beyond? Wednesday, 30 May 2018 Bozar, Brussels #Standards4SMEs The European Single Market is 25 years old this year! There is much to celebrate: for a quarter of a century, the European economy has enjoyed immense benefits from the free movement of goods, services, […]
INTERMAT event: Why are open standards a way for SMEs to access BIM?
Small Business Standards is co-organising an event with buildingSMART International in the context of the 2018 edition of the international exhibition for construction and infrastructure INTERMAT in Paris. The conference will focus on why BIM is the perfect case study to demonstrate that standardization can be a business advantage, especially for SMEs. Indeed, while most of the time enterprises don't consider standardization as a tool to develop opportunities or ensure markets, BIM may ensure a better access of SMEs to the digital transformation of the construction sector.
25-26 January – Twinning seminar
Small Business Standards has the pleasure to invite you to its second twinning seminar organised with the support of ETSI. The objective is to raise awareness among National Standardisation Organisations (NSOs) about the value of further including SMEs in standardisation and to share experiences on SME initiatives. The exercise will allow to share and identify […]
29 November – How SMEs can reap the benefits of standardisation in the era of digitisation
SBS Training on digitisation How SMEs can reap the benefits of standardisation in the era of digitisation 29 November 2017 Rue Jacques de Lalaing 4, 1040 Brussels, Belgium SBS is organising a training for SMEs, SME organisations and other interested stakeholders on digitisation taking place on 29 November in Brussels. Join us for a […]
27 November – Workshop on “The standardisation system for SMEs”
SBS Train the Trainer Workshop “The standardisation system for SMEs” 27 November 2017 UNI – Via Sannio 2, Milan SMEs (Small and medium sized enterprises) and in particular craft and micro enterprises represent in today’s Italy and Europe (more than 6 million of enterprises), 95% are small and micro, representing about 60-70% of the current […]
21 November – National seminar in Estonia
Small Business Standards and EVEA, the Estonian Association of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, are pleased to invite you to attend a seminar on standardisation on 21 November 2017 in Tallinn. The objective of the seminar is to inform and train Estonian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and national horizontal and sectoral associations about the advantages […]
14 November – Seminar in Brussels
Grow your SME: Use standards! Small Business Standards is pleased to invite you to attend a seminar on 14 November 2017 (afternoon) organised by Unizo, the Union of Self-Employed Entrepreneurs. The objective of the seminar is to inform and train Belgian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and national horizontal and sectoral associations about the advantages that can benefit […]
10 October – Annual Conference: European Standardisation Regulation – 5 years on. What has changed for SMEs?
Small Business Standards has the pleasure to invite you to its third annual conference which will take place on 10 October 2017 in the Solvay Library in Brussels. This year’s edition, moderated by Jacki Davis, will be dedicated to the five year anniversary of the EU Regulation 1025/2012 on European standardisation. A more open, […]
29 June – Training on IPR-based standardisation – what are the opportunities and challenges for SMEs?
Small Business Standards is organising a training on standardisation and Intellectual Property Rights on 29 June in Brussels. What are the links? How do they affect each other? Why does it matter for SMEs? What are the challenges and problems associated to standards in this area and how to overcome these? Join us if you […]
24 January – National seminar in Athens
Small Business Standards and GSEVEE , the Greek Association of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, are pleased to invite you to attend a seminar on standardisation on 24 January 2018 in Athens. The objective of the seminar is to inform and train Greek Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and national horizontal and sectoral associations about the […]
6 December – Seminar in Dublin (Ireland)
Get ahead of the competition and grow your SME: Use standards! Small Business Standards (SBS) is pleased to invite you to attend a seminar on Tuesday, 6 December 2016 in Dublin. The objective of the seminar is to inform and train Irish Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and national horizontal and sectoral associations about the […]
Round-table – Services standards: an opportunity for businesses?
Some 1000 standards are developed or revised every year. Of these approximately 90% relate to products, despite services accounting for 70% of the EU’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Why is this? Is there a need to further develop standards for services? Join us to discuss these issues and share your experience of services standardisation in […]
Crash Course on the European standardisation system: Why standards matter or how to make the most of them for your SME
The number of standards developed is on the rise. Despite this, many companies are still unaware of what they are and their relevance for their business. Is this your case? Sign up to attend our introduction to standards! Programme Registration Contact: t.delville@sbs-sme.eu Location: CNA premises – Rue Joseph II 36-38, B-1000 Brussels
19 October – Annual Conference on “Reinforcing the cooperation within the standardisation community”
#Standards4SMEs Under the theme Reinforcing the cooperation within the standardisation community, Small Business Standards (SBS) is organising its second annual conference on 19 October 2016 at the Residence Palace in the Brussels EU quarter. Over one hundred participants, including SBS members and experts, representatives from the EU Institutions as well as key stakeholders participating in […]
4 October – Twinning exercise : Together to strengthen SMEs in the standardisation process
Learn and share your experiences on SMEs in standardisation with DIN and ÚNMZ! Small Business Standards has the pleasure to invite you to its first twinning seminar organised with the support of the German Skilled Crafts Association (ZDH), the German Institute for Standardisation (DIN) and the Czech Office for Standards, Metrology and Testing (ÚNMZ). The […]
26 September – National seminar in Italy (Rome)
Small Business Standards (SBS) has the pleasure to invite you to attend a seminar which is organised with the support of the National Confederation of the Craft Sector and Small and Medium Enterprises (CNA) and the Italian Association of Crafts and SMEs (CONFARTIGIANATO). The objective of the seminar is to inform and train SMEs and national […]
26 September – National seminar in Italy (Rome)
Small Business Standards (SBS) has the pleasure to invite you to attend a seminar which is organised with the support of the National Confederation of the Craft Sector and Small and Medium Enterprises (CNA) and the Italian Association of Crafts and SMEs (CONFARTIGIANATO). The objective of the seminar is to inform and train SMEs and national […]
22 September – National Seminar in Spain (Madrid)
Small Business Standards (SBS) has the pleasure to invite you to attend a seminar which is organised with the support of the European Federation for Elevator Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EFESME) that will take place in Madrid, Spain. The seminar will have two parts: a general one with the aim to inform SMEs and national […]