Research

The positive economic impact of accredited certification for exporters (ISTAT, 2020)

Research carried out in Italy has demonstrated that accredited certification is a significant factor in making Italian businesses more competitive. Carried out by the National Institute for Statistics (ISTAT) in collaboration with the Italian Accreditation Body (Accredia), the report concluded that accredited certification to internationally recognised management systems standards facilitates the exchange of information between supplier and buyer, standardises language and organisational practices, and therefore represents an important competitive factor for businesses operating in overseas markets where cultural and economic contexts can be very different.

The progressive globalisation of commerce, the increasing complexity of goods and services and the existence of production processes organised according to global value chains have led to the need for increased coordination and cooperation capacities. This, in turn, has accelerated the adoption of technical and organisational standards to ensure product and process compatibility and to demonstrate that products meet agreed requirements.

A summary of the report can be downloaded from the Accredia website.