DAkkS in bilateral dialogue on quality infrastructure in Germany and Indonesia
Announcement teaser: As part of the Global Project Quality Infrastructure (GPQI) initiative of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle (DAkkS) had the opportunity at the beginning of September 2024 to visit the National Standardization Agency of Indonesia (BSN) and National Accreditation Body of Indonesia (KAN) in Jakarta, where the ongoing bilateral German-Indonesian dialogue on quality infrastructure was successfully carried forward in two workshops on digitisation and electromobility.
Held in Jakarta, the two workshops focused on activities set out in the joint work plan for 2023-2024 under the aegis of the GPQI. The workshops took place within the scope of the Joint Declaration of Intent (JDoI) between Indonesia and Germany to improve the bilateral dialogue on quality infrastructure. DAkkS was represented in Jakarta by Sabine Reinkober, advisor for national and international accreditation policy at DAkkS.
Implementation and utilisation of digital technologies in the German and Indonesian accreditation systems
In the first workshop, where the focus was on exchanging information concerning the implementation and utilisation of the latest digital technologies in the German and Indonesian accreditation systems, Sabine Reinkober presented the DAkkS digital accreditation symbol. In April of this year, DAkkS became the first accreditation body worldwide to introduce a digital accreditation symbol as an electronic seal, which is machine-readable and can be verified in real time. On the Indonesian side, there was a great deal of interest in learning more about its function and areas of application, as Indonesia is now also seeing growing numbers of conformity assessment certificates being issued in digital form. With the digital accreditation symbol, documents of this kind can be protected against manipulation, offering a means of ensuring tamper-proof accreditation.
Link to the digital accreditation symbol page
KAN for its part has pressed ahead with digitisation of the accreditation process through its introduction of the KAN Management Information System (KAN-MIS), as explained during the workshop by Wahyu Purbowasito, Deputy Director for Accreditation at BSN and Chairman of KAN. Conformity assessment bodies have the ability to use the system to register online to be accredited in accordance with their scope. Integration of a function for licensing accreditation symbols in the KAN-MIS is planned before the end of this year.
Similar challenges in the area of electromobility
The second workshop, focusing on the topic of developing the quality infrastructure in the area of electromobility, was attended by representatives of the Indonesian Ministry of Industry, the Indonesia Battery Corporation and BSN, and on the German side by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, DIN and DAkkS. It became evident in the course of the workshop that Indonesia is facing similar challenges in this area as Germany.
As part of the process of decarbonising the transport sector, a significant increase in the use of batteries is expected in both countries, with a particular focus in the case of Indonesia on two-wheelers. A fundamental prerequisite for the further development of electromobility is collaboration between manufacturers, suppliers and service providers along the value chain and the development of an appropriate infrastructure. To ensure the safety of products coming onto the market, as well as the interoperability and compatibility of components, the development of standards and the expansion of accreditation and conformity assessment are necessary.
In the area of electromobility, both Indonesia and Germany are seeing intensive efforts to draw up standards to ensure and optimise development of vehicle technology, energy storage (batteries), charging infrastructure, communication and energy flow, as well as product and operational safety. In the area of accreditation and conformity assessment, Sabine Reinkober explained the requirements for public charging stations and the accreditation process, and also outlined EU Battery Regulation 2023/1542, which recently came into force. This regulation defines mandatory requirements for all batteries placed on the EU market, in particular with regard to sustainability and due diligence, carbon footprint, safety, consumer friendliness and recycling, and sets out the requirements for accreditation and conformity assessment.
The insights gained from this workshop will be incorporated into the upcoming study on quality infrastructure for electric mobility in Indonesia.
Background to the Global Project Quality Infrastructure (GPQI) initiative
With the GPQI, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action has been promoting the international harmonisation of quality infrastructure since 2017. With the support of GIZ, the German Society for International Cooperation, the project is currently being implemented in five countries (Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico). Through continuous bilateral technical dialogues, the GPQI supports the reduction of technical barriers to trade and the improvement of product safety. The instrument of accreditation makes an important contribution to the worldwide acceptance of conformity assessment results and helps to promote international trade. DAkkS has therefore been actively involved in the GPQI for many years.
Further Information
Contact
Sabine Reinkober
Advisor for national and international accreditation policy | Accreditation Governance, Research, and Innovation