The role of research and other inputs for the development and impacts of standards

Research as input into standardisation processes is becoming more important because of its role as a knowledge and technology transfer channel. Furthermore, standards have to become more science-based, particularly if they are part of the regulatory framework, such as in the European Union. Therefore, a conceptual model of standardisation as a channel of technology transfer has been expanded further to consider standards in the regulatory framework. The empirical study aims to identify the demands of industry and other stakeholders for standards as potential research results and other drivers and inputs. A survey among over thirty thousand experts active in the German standardisation body DIN generated almost three thousand responses, mainly from the industry. The responses from the experts reveal that policy initiatives, including regulations and customer requirements, alongside own and collaborative research, are the most relevant sources for standard development. Research input is assessed to be most important for measurement and testing standards, with quality and environmental standards closely followed. The primary benefit of utilizing research as input for standardisation is free access to scientific insights and the capability to stay updated with scientific advancements. Eventually, we correlate the relevance of inputs into standards by assessing various impact dimensions, revealing significant linkages. Finally, we link the empirical findings to the presented model and derive avenues for future theory-building research.