QI-FoKuS
„QI-FoKuS“ stands for „Quality Infrastructure – Research on Conformity Assessment and Safety“. Supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), this initiative was jointly launched in 2019 by the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und –prüfung (BAM) and TU Berlin.
Within this initiative we conduct studies on current and fundamental topics in conformity assessment and accreditation. The studies’ basis is formed by our comprehensive surveys of companies and in particular conformity assessment bodies in Germany and internationally. By publishing the results, we contribute to an improved data basis, scientifically sound insights and the identification of trends in the quality infrastructure.
The first company surveys dealt with the use and certification of management systems with a special focus on information security and the criteria for the selection of certification bodies. In 2020, as part of the QI-FoKuS Corona Monitor, conformity assessment bodies in Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, and New Zealand were surveyed about the economic impact of the pandemic and its effects on their ability to work as well as their digitalization.
The results can be found here
About Quality Infrastructure and QI-FoKuS
Quality Infrastructure (QI) is defined as “the system comprising the organizations (public and private) together with the policies, relevant legal and regulatory framework, and practices needed to support and enhance the quality, safety and environmental soundness of goods” (UNIDO). It makes use of various elements that have different functions in this system. Graph on National Quality Infrastructure.