Young experts from 47 countries at the IEC annual meeting: Bals represented in the Young Professionals Programme for the first time

Young experts from 47 countries at the IEC annual meeting: Bals represented in the Young Professionals Programme for the first time. Exchanging expert knowledge and experience, networking internationally and helping to shape the future of international standardisation: The IEC Young Professionals Programme is well respected worldwide. A Bals employee, Piotr Komor, is represented in this hand-picked group for the first time.

The 80th general meeting of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) took place in Frankfurt from 10th to 14th October 2016. The Young Professionals Programme is a fixed constituent of the conference, and a new group of young managers, engineers and technicians is put together again every year. The current Young Professionals Network consists of members from 47 countries, including a Bals employee for the first time, Piotr Komor. Four representatives from German companies have been elected to the programme this year. The 30-year-old export manager has been working for Bals for ten years. "International networking is invaluable, and the exchange of information between colleagues from all over the world generates many new ideas", says Komor, describing his impression of the annual conference. "At the same time, it is exciting to be involved in matters concerning the standardisation process.

Are standards necessary and useful, or simply a chore? When you talk to practitioners, opinions are divided. However, standards actually form the indispensable basis for being able to collaborate internationally, and they make processes simpler and quicker. "Electrical engineering is in a period of upheaval – topics such as digitalisation and Industry 4.0 are unimaginable without consistent standards", emphasises Piotr Komor. The new technologies do not follow, but take the lead – and are actively shaping the future. Associations such as the IEC make a decisive contribution to this. And Young Professionals are the best multipliers for generating enthusiasm for the wide variety of uses for standards. The vision of a worldwide, mutual recognition of certificates and standards will take years to achieve, but is the long-term goal of the international cooperation.