The current strategy of Rigi Railways is geared towards growth and overseas markets. This is not climate-friendly, according to the study by the University of Applied Sciences of Eastern Switzerland, which was commissioned by the petitioners "Rigi: 800,000 is enough!" and financed by them. It therefore advises both Mount Rigi and tourism in general to "fundamentally change course".

Tourist mobility is extremely harmful to the climate, with Asian and overseas guests contributing the most to CO2 emissions due to air travel. According to one estimate, Rigi tourism caused around 488,337 tons of CO2 annually before the pandemic.

The majority of this is caused by travel to and from the event, namely around 477,229 tons. This is more than the total CO2 emissions of annual passenger and freight traffic in the city of Zurich. Before the pandemic, around 40 percent of the approximately one million guests on Mount Rigi came from overseas.

Upper limit of 800,000 guests

If Rigi Railways wants to improve its carbon footprint, overseas guests would have to be replaced by guests from Switzerland and neighboring countries, according to the study. The authors also suggest limiting the number of guests to 800,000 per year.

To ensure that Rigi Bahnen can continue to make a living in the future, the revenue per guest must be increased. This would require, for example, multi-day flat rates. The abolition of the general season ticket should also be examined. Instead, individual tickets should be sold.

Thanks to a gradual price increase, travel revenue could amount to CHF 28.4 million with 700,000 guests. This corresponds to the record level before the pandemic.

However, in order to switch to this strategy, advertising in the Asian and overseas markets would have to be dispensed with in the future. At the same time, new offers in gastronomy, hotels and regional products are needed. The study lists around 120 possible projects and measures.

"Very spongy"

The study has many good inputs, said Frédéric Füssenich, head of Rigi Bahnen, when asked by the Keystone-SDA news agency. However, capping the number of guests would not be expedient. The aim is to be a quality leader and not a quantity leader. "The future will show whether this means 700,000 or 900,000 guests on the Rigi," said Füssenich.

The consequence of the study would be the end of intercontinental tourism. But renunciation is not the only solution. The challenge of climate change can also be solved with technical progress, for example with sustainable fuel. However, these approaches are not considered at all in the study.

According to Füssenich, it is difficult to judge whether the projections on travel revenue are realistic, as the proposals are "very vague". Basically, he puts a question mark behind higher prices and the abandonment of the GA offer, with which Rigi Bahnen would promote sustainable public transport. (SDA)

Founded by two Swiss with Greek roots, OctaveWorld focuses on olive oils positioned globally in a high-end niche with a social responsibility approach.

The name Octave as well as the entire strategic brand identity were conceived and implemented by Zelebrand International. The eight tone steps, which are representative of an octave, were the inspiration for the name.

Music plays a central role at Octave: "We support the next generation of up-and-coming musicians with at least 3 percent of our sales," explains co-founder Anastastios Ghiatras.

The "Creative Legal Intelligence" methodology developed by Zelebrand was used for the brand engineering. This merges all brand protection aspects with the creative process and, according to the agency, is intended to guarantee maximum precision, quality and security with the greatest possible cost efficiency right from the start. This also includes the appropriate global domain strategy as well as the patent protection of word and figurative marks.

"Unfortunately, brands are still too often developed in the blue without being aware of the risks of the digital age," explains Petar Dakovic, Founder and Managing Partner of Zelebrand. "With the 'Creative Legal Intelligence' methodology we developed in collaboration with Brandit, we can guarantee that both new and existing brands can move safely into the future, precisely because the right precautions have been taken from the start."

In addition, Zelebrand has already implemented the first communication measures. These include an initial website with store integration, a brand and product brochure, and a film and photo shoot. According to the agency, further activities are being planned, including additional new products that are currently in the testing phase.

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Responsible at OctaveWorld Ltd: Anastasios Ghiatras (Co-Founder), Janis Papadatos (Co-Founder). Responsible at Zelebrand International: Ralf Kostgeld (Founder/Creative Partner), Petar Dakovic (Founder/Managing Partner), Albert Trulls (Art Direction & Design), George Naskid (UI/UX), Samuel Zerbato/Z-Productions (Photography and Film), Q Switzerland/ Worldwide (Tech Consulting).

October is marked by the pink ribbon, a symbol against breast cancer. The Zurich watch brand Maurice de Mauriac is also participating in Pink October, with a special edition: With the sale of the "L3 Cherry Blossom," the watch brand is supporting activities against breast cancer. The ambassador and campaign model is long-time top German tennis player Andrea Petković, who ended her career at this year's US Open and has long been committed to helping people with cancer.

50 percent of the proceeds are donated

"The L3 Cherry Blossom is intended to be a statement, as it were, for those who want to encourage those affected, as well as those who have accepted the battle with the disease," says CEO Massimo Dreifuss. In order to raise funds for the organizations involved in the fight against breast cancer, Maurice de Mauriac will donate 50 percent of the sales proceeds to the Zurich Cancer League in October for projects on the subject of breast cancer. A commitment that is not to end at the end of October, after which another 20 percent of the proceeds from each L3 Cherry Blossom sold will be donated to the Krebsliga Zürich.

The European plastics industry is facing challenges on a number of fronts. This will also be noticeable at this year's K, probably the most important information and business platform for the global plastics and rubber industry. The plastics trade fair will be held in Düsseldorf from October 19 to 26, 2022, and is regarded as a showcase for all plastics processing industries. 

In packaging, by far the plastics industry's largest market, it has become a victim of its own success as a supplier of the ideal material for single-use applications and people on the move. In construction, some infrastructure projects may be put on hold as governments divert some funding from infrastructure projects to defense, although business is boosted by consumers receiving assistance to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. In the automotive sector, suppliers are suffering as carmakers cut production - not in response to falling demand, but because they can't get the chips they need for their electronics.

High energy prices weigh on the European plastics industry

Since the beginning of 2019, COVID-19 has had a major impact on production, occasionally positive, but mostly negative. And now, as Europe and the rest of the world are in the process of recovering from the devastating two years of the pandemic, there is the added tragedy of the Ukraine conflict. Commenting on the situation at the end of March 2022, Martin Wiesweg, executive director polymers EMEA at consultancy IHS Markit, said the crisis was not only causing a humanitarian catastrophe but was also weighing heavily on the plastics industry, driving up costs, exacerbating supply chain bottlenecks, including energy supply, and raising the specter of a demand shock as global stagflation is feared. "High crude oil prices have had a negative impact on European plastics demand in the past (see chart)," Wiesweg said. If prices continue to rise, consumer disposable income could plummet, which would impact retail sales. Segments dependent on consumer spending that are not essential, such as appliances, consumer goods and cars, would fare poorly as shoppers try to save money. "In the short to medium term, Europe could see a decline in demand for polymers."

Germany remains the "powerhouse" of the European plastics industry with its diverse strengths in materials, equipment and processing capabilities. But some sectors are nevertheless struggling. According to the GKV (Gesamtverband Kunststoffverarbeitende Industrie), the industry's sales increased by 12.6 % to 69.4 billion euros in 2021, but member companies continue to face severe pressure on earnings. In this regard, the association points to an "exorbitant cost explosion" for raw materials and energy, as well as the many delivery delays and resulting order stoppages, especially in automotive supply.

Alarm bells are ringing at Unionplast, the association of Italian plastics processing companies, because of energy prices. "The crisis in energy prices is having a serious impact on an industry with over 5,000 companies and more than 100,000 employees," says Marco Bergaglio, president of the association. "The uncontrolled rise in energy costs and the increasing difficulties in sourcing raw materials are a lethal mix for our industry and pose the risk that we may actually be unable to meet our customers' requirements. This situation inevitably has an impact on the prices of our products."

European machinery manufacturers in good shape

Things are looking better for European plastics machinery manufacturers. Thorsten Kühmann, Secretary General of EUROMAP, the European association of plastics and rubber machinery manufacturers, stated in March that the order books of member companies "are filled to the brim. The current year will therefore be another very good one. We expect sales to increase by 5 to 10 %." However, rising prices and now the war in Ukraine are also causing uncertainty here. Dario Previero, president of Amaplast, the association of Italian manufacturers of plastics and rubber machinery and molds, predicted at the end of last year, "According to our estimates, production at the end of 2021 should be within a hair's breadth of pre-pandemic levels, increasing by 11.5 % compared to 2020. The significant recovery in 2021 leads us to expect output in 2022 to be above pre-crisis levels."

Ulrich Reifenhäuser, CSO of the Reifenhäuser Group, a leading manufacturer of extrusion lines, and also Chairman of the K Exhibitor Advisory Board, speaks of an "extraordinarily positive" order backlog for the current year. "The extremely high demand for our meltblown nonwovens lines, which have made a decisive contribution to ensuring that sufficient medical protective masks can be produced worldwide to combat the pandemic - especially in Europe with local production capacities." Gerd Liebig, CEO of the major injection molding technology manufacturer Sumitomo (SHI) Demag, also says that consumption figures are good overall. "Nevertheless, the coronavirus situation has had a significant impact on demand. However, we expect a rapid recovery thanks to our strong business strategy." Machine sales at this company are also on track to exceed pre-pandemic levels. "The demand for all-electric models continues to grow, and we expect this share to increase further," says Liebig. And at Arburg, Gerhard Böhm, Managing Director Sales and Service, reports: "We have sold more machines in 2021 than ever before - and we also have a good order intake this year." However, he also points out that material prices and delivery times are a cause for concern. "It's clear that the supply bottlenecks are preventing our customers from investing in some cases, but the demand is certainly there," he says. 

Packaging challenges

The European plastics industry has to deal with various pieces of legislation on plastic waste on an ongoing basis. For example, there is a requirement for 55 % of all plastic packaging in the EU to be recyclable by 2030, as well as a levy on non-recycled plastic packaging waste. Some countries are also introducing local legislation (e.g. Spain and France), so the playing field is not as level as it should be.

The industry is already having to live with the consequences of the SEA Directive, some elements of which came into force in most EU countries on July 3, 2021 - although the introduction of the legislation has not been entirely smooth. In Italy, for example, it only came into force in January, meaning that final implementation was delayed. Furthermore, the definitions of plastic products are more flexible than originally intended by Brussels, as while the SEA Directive does not exempt certain biodegradable plastics, the Italian legislation does.

On the subject of bioplastics, the trade association European Bioplastics says: "Unfortunately, bioplastics still do not receive as much support in Europe as other innovative industries do from EU policymakers. The EU Commission has partly contradictory positions on bioplastics. The positions of the member states on bioplastics also vary widely, and the regulatory environment is anything but harmonized. This discourages investment in research and development and in production capacities," it says.

Despite these challenges, the development of European bioplastics is "very positive. Global production capacity still accounts for less than 1 % of the more than 367 million metric tons of all plastics, but by 2026, bioplastics production will exceed 2 % for the first time." Production capacity for bioplastics in Europe was just under 600,000 metric tons in 2021 and is expected to increase to around 1,000,000 metric tons over the next five years.

Recycling on the rise

"New laws and targets for recycling plastics and using recyclate are changing the way the whole plastics industry has to operate," says Elizabeth Carroll, a recycling and sustainability consultant at AMI Consulting in Bristol, U.K., the consulting firm that released a new report on mechanical recycling in Europe. "The mechanical plastics recycling industry has therefore become a focal point for investment, acquisition and expansion," she says.

In 2021, the production of recycled plastics in Europe totaled 8.2 million tons and is projected to increase by 5.6 % per year through 2030. This compares to 35.6 million tons of standard plastics that entered the waste stream in 2021. "This means that Europe as a whole has reached a plastics recycling rate of 23.1 %," Carroll says. This figure will most likely increase as the plastics industry makes extensive investments in various recycling technologies.

Sometimes, however, it is an uphill battle as Guido Frohnhaus, Managing Director of Technology & Engineering at Arburg, admits: "As long as recyclates are more expensive than virgin materials, the question arises for every medium-sized company as to why they should use them at the expense of their own profitability. Politicians must set clear legal requirements here, and the EU must not only ban individual plastic products, but also consistently support the circular economy."

Fortunately, recycling technology is making great strides in Europe. Austrian companies such as Erema and Starlinger, for example, are among the leaders in this field, while Amut and Bandera are among the Italian extrusion specialists developing systems for treating film waste. PET bottle technologies specialists Sipa, in collaboration with Erema, have developed the first fully integrated system for recycling post-consumer flakes into bottles for food contact applications. Automated sorting technologies for mixed PCR are also making great strides, with Norwegian company Tomra playing an important role.

Polymer suppliers for the European plastics industry go green

European polymer manufacturers are making great efforts to improve the sustainability of their products. Richard Roudeix, Senior Vice President - Olefins & Polyolefins Europe, Middle East, Africa and India at LyondellBasell, one of the largest producers of polyolefins and compounds, explains: "To become carbon neutral by 2050, the industry needs to make a profound change in a relatively short period of time, especially considering that some technologies to fully decarbonize our processes are still in early stages of development. Currently, high energy costs are squeezing industry profits at the very time when the industry needs additional funds to invest in decarbonization."

Polymer suppliers don't quite see eye-to-eye with European policymakers on the transition to a green economy, but opinions are converging. "LyondellBasell believes that alternative government policies and voluntary measures are more effective than pursuing environmental goals through national taxes alone," Roudeix says. He suggests using a fee based on the recyclability of the product to fund infrastructure improvements and plastic recycling programs. LyondellBasell has set a goal of producing and marketing two million tons of recycled and renewable polymers annually by 2030. The company has already launched plastics made from mechanically and chemically recycled plastic waste and bio-based raw materials.

SABIC made similar comments. The company launched certified recycled polymers in 2019, which are produced by upcycling end-of-life plastics. "In fact, however, the demand for recycled plastics is currently greater than the supply," said a representative, adding, "Manufacturers need to find a way to expand supply to bring about real change." According to SABIC, greater regulatory support from governments is needed to help industry players scale up new techniques such as chemical recycling. "For example, it's important that the European regulatory framework recognizes chemically recycled resin as equivalent to virgin resin produced from fossil fuels to increase availability and promote scalability." And at BASF, which like SABIC offers a wide range of plastics for different markets, a representative says, "We expect plastics to play an important role in achieving the EU's net-zero emissions targets by contributing to emissions savings in key sectors such as construction, automotive and food packaging. Globally, we aim to achieve net zero CO₂ emissions. We also aim to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions globally by 25 % by 2030 compared to 2018."

Source and further information: www.k-online.de

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/die-europaeische-kunststoffindustrie-im-bann-von-preissteigerungen-und-stagnation/

As a place to live and work, the city of Arbon offers far more than lake access and industry: tangible history meets high-tech innovation here, and a historic old town meets innovative new areas. The new location promotion program is bringing these advantages to the outside world with a new self-confidence. To this end, Dachvom has created the motivational brand "Arb "on" as a distinctive element. It is intended to show: Arbon is in a spirit of optimism and always "on".

The agency is also responsible for developing and maintaining the new Web platform. On the platform, stories from the areas of business, housing, leisure and tourism as well as the core messages of location promotion are communicated. Social media measures are also used to make the stories accessible to various target groups.

With the motivational brand, the web platform and future accompanying measures such as the partner program for companies designed by Dachcom, the city aims to make its own advantages known to a wide audience in German-speaking Switzerland and neighboring countries.

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Responsible at the city of Arbon: Samuel Struhs (Project Manager). Responsible agency: Dachcom Team Rheineck / Winterthur.

From Thursday, October 20, 2022, Aldi Suisse customers will be able to buy a wide selection of regional products: The retailer is launching Saveurs Suisses, a new own-brand regional product with 36 items to start. Products available will include ravioli and gnocchi from Ticino, St. Gallen Olmabrat sausage, Bündner Nusstorte, Basler Läckerli, meat and cheese specialties from western Switzerland such as Saucisson au Gamay, Reblochon de Moudon or St-Etienne, glacé and organic yogurt from the Bernese Seeland, tartufi from Sedrun, Valais jams and much more.

Aldi Suisse attaches importance to regional producers

All products meet at least the requirements of Swissness legislation. Some products also carry the AOP or IGP certification. Some items already have or will in future additionally receive regio.garantie certification. Promoting and strengthening regional producers is important to the Swiss retailer: "For the launch of Saveurs Suisses, cooperation with regio.garantie is essential," says Jérôme Meyer, Country Managing Director of Aldi Suisse. "As part of the Swiss Regional Products Association and regio.garantie, we are even more successful in making these gems of Swiss culinary art accessible to more people while promoting local producers."

Continuous expansion of the range

The new products are produced regionally, but are not only offered in their region of origin, but throughout Switzerland. The typical Swiss silhouette pattern on the packaging, created by silhouette artist Esther Gerber, is intended to offer a high recognition value. To make it clear at first glance which region the product comes from, the packaging also includes a map of Switzerland next to the Saveurs Suisses logo, on which the corresponding region is colored.
The new regio own brand is to be continuously expanded: By the end of 2023, the plan is to offer around 100 Saveurs Suisses articles permanently throughout Switzerland - many of them regio.garantie-certified. The range will be supplemented both by temporarily available promotional items and by items that will be available exclusively in the stores of certain regions.

In their latest analysis for the years 2020 and 2021, the health insurer Helsana and the German health insurer Barmer use selected examples of care to show that there was no nationwide underuse during the Corona pandemic. The study also compared the course of the pandemic and government intervention: even though the pandemic was similar in both countries, the official orders and government intervention in Switzerland and Germany differed considerably. A chronological comparison shows that Germany took significantly more restrictive measures and maintained them for longer. However, the healthcare systems in both countries proved to be robust.

First implantation of knee endoprostheses made up for

Measures by the authorities to restrict non-urgent medical interventions were mandated and adhered to in both the German and Swiss healthcare systems. During the first wave, this led to a marked decrease in knee endoprosthesis implantation in both countries. Compared with the previous year, almost ten percent fewer knee endoprosthesis operations were performed in both countries. More of these operations were performed in Switzerland than in Germany.

Breast cancer screening down slightly

Since 2011, various cantons have introduced breast cancer screening programs. In Germany, all women between 50 and 69 years of age are invited for voluntary mammography screening. During the pandemic, evidence was found in both countries that women of the recommended age between 50 and 69 years were somewhat more reluctant to undergo mammography than in previous years. In Switzerland, a catch-up effect was evident in cantons with screening programs, which began immediately after the lockdown. In the cantons without a screening program, no catch-up effect could be detected.

Vaccinations among children slightly increased during pandemic

The heated debate surrounding vaccination during the Corona pandemic does not appear to have significantly influenced parents' willingness to vaccinate in either country. Among young children, a slight increase was even observed in the recommended basic vaccinations against measles, mumps and rubella. This may have been due to the fact that official recommendations had already specified an earlier vaccination age before the pandemic.

Source: Helsana

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/robuste-gesundheitssysteme-waehrend-der-pandemie/

A new snack that could point the way to the future: With its "Trellini" nibble snack, Appenzeller Brauerei Locher is taking a step toward sustainability: the nibble is made from malt spent grain, a product that is a byproduct of beer production. By 2025, all the brewery's byproducts that do not go to agriculture are to be processed into high-quality food. To achieve this, the brewery has Food upcycling brand Brewbee founded to transform brewery byproducts such as spent malt and brewer's yeast into sustainable food and meat alternatives.

Against the waste of resources

"We stop wasting valuable resources and use them to develop high-quality, sustainable food products," says brewery owner Karl Locher. The brewery is currently building Europe's largest spent grains upcycling plant for protein recovery, a statement said. "Trellini" contains 56 percent fresh spent grains and is available now in "Salt & Vinegar" and "Tomato & Basil" flavors.

 

 

In view of the emerging climate crisis, the catering industry is also faced with the difficult task of developing as sustainably as possible in the future. Gastronomy businesses can make an important contribution to making the world a more sustainable place. But even the most sustainable offer is in vain if it is not used. So how can consumers be persuaded to opt for more sustainable menu options? Malin Lutz, a Bachelor Business Communications graduate, got to the bottom of this question in her final thesis. She is this year's winner of the UBS Sustainability Award for outstanding bachelor theses at the HWZ Hochschule für Wirtschaft Zürich.

Nudging, a concept from behavioral economics

Changing consumer behavior can be difficult: habits, schemes and shortcuts influence the choices we make every day - including our food choices. Although consumers are usually aware of which meal is healthiest or most sustainable, they still sometimes choose not to for a variety of reasons. Nudging, a concept from behavioral economics that Malin Lutz finally explored as part of her bachelor's thesis, can reduce this undesirable behavior. The term comes from English and means "nudging" or "pushing". According to this approach, people's behavior should be steered in a desired direction with the help of a little nudge. Instead of prohibitions, the concept relies on voluntary behavioral change on the part of the individuals: Decision architectures are developed to close the intention-behavior gap (in this case, the gap between intended sustainable consumption and actual sustainable consumption). For example, the sales figures of specific dishes can be positively influenced by appropriate wording.

Based on this theoretical foundation, Malin Lutz developed nudges herself and tested them in a field experiment in two Swiss restaurants over a period of several weeks. As part of this experiment, she gave a celery schnitzel, for example, the melodious and much tastier name "Terroir Schnitzel à la Ruben" in order to achieve an increase in sales. Even if the sales figures in the experiment did not change as expected for various reasons, this is not a rejection of nudging: Nudges have the potential to contribute to the promotion of a viable and sustainable Swiss gastronomy, as the paper shows.

At virtual booths, the experts of the ConSense GmbH was available to the trade audience for information, questions and intensive exchange. The entire product range of the software manufacturer from Aachen was presented: software for setting up an IMS or QM software, individual modules such as measures, audit or validation management (GxP), the web-based solution ConSense PORTAL as well as hosting services. Live demos presented practical solutions for IMS, audit management and measures management to interested visitors. Current news on training and qualification management as well as eLearning were also available at a separate booth. Finally, participants were able to deepen their QM knowledge in various on-demand webinars.

Highlight of ConSense EXPO: The conference program

According to the organizers, the expert presentations, regularly the highlight of the virtual trade fair, were once again very popular: ConSense, the organizer, recorded well over 1000 attendees at the various live conferences with renowned experts from the QM world, who covered a whole range of topics. Dr. Markus Reimer, business and quality expert, addressed "The Digital Challenge - What awaits us and why we can't wait any longer" in his sought-after keynote. The keynote speech by Dr. Benedikt Sommerhoff, DGQ expert for quality and innovation, on "Leveraging strategically instead of bogging down operationally - how the QM department can achieve more impact for quality" was also a real crowd puller, according to the organizer. Many interested parties also turned up for the presentation by Dr. Bernhard Müller (consultant and auditor specializing in food safety), who provided information on the HACCP concept in the management system. In an interview, quality management representative Denis Dörrich offered an insight into practice and vividly described the introduction of an integrated management system at the Samaritan Foundation Nürtingen.

Exchange, networking, raffle - and highly satisfied trade visitors

The supporting program at ConSense EXPO was not neglected either: In the virtual coffee lounge, the trade audience took the opportunity to exchange views on top industry topics at the round table. Small online Pilates sessions provided relaxation during breaks. And those who found all the puzzle pieces hidden at the EXPO in the competition were lucky enough to win a great prize. The overall concept of the virtual ConSense software fair seems to have convinced once again. Because the participants praised, among other things, the overall implementation of the virtual event, the informative expansion of the presentations as well as the direct and competent answering of their questions. "The numerous extremely positive feedbacks are again a nice confirmation of our virtual event, which has earned its right in the trade fair calendar. That is why we can confirm to all interested parties already today: ConSense EXPO will go into a new round on April 18, 2023," promises Dr. Iris Bruns from the management of ConSense GmbH.

Source: ConSense GmbH

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/begeistertes-fachpublikum-an-der-consense-expo-2022/

Urs Fischer, CEO of the Swiss Standards Association (SNV), knows that Switzerland has a weighty voice in the standards process in international committees. And not only in the classic topics such as ski bindings, ropeways or mechanical engineering, but also in areas such as leadership principles or management topics. In many areas, it is possible for Swiss experts to participate in standards committees. The Swiss Standards Association (SNV) actively calls for participation in relevant professional groups. The idea is that people with relevant experience define practicable standards, review them and later adapt them if necessary. The Swiss Association for Standardization (SNV) is responsible for managing the development and review processes. It is the hub and provides the link to the international committees.

Standards are not laws

Applied standards are hidden in buildings and infrastructures as well as in almost every product. But what for? Standards enable more efficient production, handling and storage. They lead to better compatibility in technical devices and systems. They also create consumer confidence. After all, applied standards also mean that basic requirements with regard to health, safety and the environment are met. Since standards are reviewed every five years and revised if necessary, they remain up to date. New areas or topics are integrated. For example, adaptations due to digitalization or the forward-looking inclusion of climate change. Trend topics such as blockchain or megacities are included. Social developments such as demographic changes or sustainability issues are integrated into the standards. Overall, standards are widely accepted because they arise from practice and are created for practice. In some cases, however, standards are also referred to in laws. This means that in these cases, standards take on a legally binding character. In all other cases, compliance with the standards is voluntary. This is because they are created by organizations under private law. However, since these work closely with government organizations, standardization is a good example of a successful public-private partnership (PPP), i.e. cooperation between the public sector and private industry.

What does SN EN ISO 9001:2015 mean?

9001 is the number of the quality management standard, the year after the colon refers to the year of publication of the revised version of the standard. If it is revised again, the year is replaced by the new publication date. Each standard is numbered according to this principle.
ISO stands for International Organization for Standardization. The international association of standardization organizations now represents 165 countries worldwide. The organization is headquartered in Geneva. ISO standards are developed for the global market. Switzerland is a member of this organization and can influence the development of standards via the Swiss Standards Association (SNV).

The abbreviation EN means that it is a standard developed for the European area. In the case of EN ISO 9001, this means that the international standard has been adopted into the body of standards of the EU. The abbreviation SN means that a standard has been developed for the Swiss market. SN EN ISO 9001 accordingly means that the international and European standard for quality management has also been incorporated into the Swiss body of standards. Since Switzerland participates in both European and global standardization, the international or European standards are generally adopted and any conflicting national standards are withdrawn. Special national cases may be mentioned or supplemented in the foreword or annex of the international standards, but the actual content of the standards remains the same everywhere.

The CE marking

The most familiar mark for consumers is probably the CE mark. This was created to identify products that comply with EU legislation. The CE mark is often referred to as a passport to the European single market. With it, a manufacturer testifies that he has taken into account all the specific requirements of EU legislation for the product he sells. Since this, like Swiss legislation, refers to relevant standards, the CE mark also testifies that these have been complied with. In Switzerland, CE marking is not mandatory. However, since the majority of products are also sold on the EU market, it is also widely used in our country.

Anniversary on World Standards Day 2022

Before seventy five years delegates from 25 countries decided in London to create an international organization for standardization. This marked the beginning of worldwide standardization. The purpose of the young organization was to facilitate the coordination and standardization of standards developed by its member organizations. In today's world and modern economy, it is impossible to imagine life without standards; even if they are barely visible to consumers, they operate in the background, and almost everywhere.

Source and further information: Swiss Association for Standardization (SNV)

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/zum-weltnormentag-2022-normen-sind-nicht-mehr-wegzudenken/

Quality and change are inextricably linked. The world has moved on faster in the last two years than in the previous two decades. Manufacturing processes, working environments and supply chains are now under scrutiny and must adapt to a new reality in an agile manner. This is the only way companies will be able to secure their success in the future. As the engine of change, quality will positively drive these changes.

Quality representatives are appointed on the occasion of the 1st Quality Mining Day on 20 October 2022 in Ettlingen, Baden-Württemberg, valuable knowledge, inspiration and network contacts can mine. As speakers are loaded among other things Dr. Lars Vollmer, graduated engineer and honorary professor of the Leibniz University Hanover, entrepreneur, best-selling author and founder of intrinsify, a group of companies for effective work with a focus on business management and organizational development. His discipline is provocative inspiration. Extreme athlete Norman Bücher will also deliberately push boundaries and provide his audience with new perspectives. In addition, Dr. Ing. Benedikt Sommerhoff, head of quality and innovation at DGQ, will take the audience on an exciting journey of "Quality Management in Transition". Dr. Ing. Alexander Schloske works at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation in Stuttgart. He has many years of project experience in the fields of product and quality management in a wide range of industries. He will talk about the 7 golden rules of process FMEA. And Thomas Metten, Team Leader Quality Service, Oventrop GmbH & Co. KG, will devote his presentation to the cultural change in his company.

An exhibition and a panel discussion round off the conference program. The organizer is Quality Miners, a software manufacturer from Karlsruhe. The company focuses on creating individual customer solutions in the field of quality management software. Well known are the two product lines RQM and IDOS.

More information and last chance to register: https://quality-miners.de/events/quality-mining-day-2022/

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/1-quality-mining-day-vor-dem-start/