• The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations agency for information and communication technologies, approved the membership of the European DIGITAL SME Alliance as a new sector member

• DIGITAL SME aims to promote SMEs´ participation and representation in global ICT standards by contributing to the ITU standards-setting function

• DIGITAL SME is committed to open and inclusive global ICT standards. European digital SMEs offer knowledge and technology alternatives to set standards that better serve the needs of society

DIGITAL SME has officially joined the International Telecommunication Union as a sector member. Through its commitment to ITU’s work, DIGITAL SME aims to bring in the voices of Europe’s community of small and medium-sized digital entrepreneurs, leading innovation in their respective sectors – and thereby contributing to further bolstering ITU’s balanced representativeness.

Collaboration with ITU will align across various topics, ranging from efforts around the digitalisation of companies to upskilling. A particular focus is expected regarding international standardisation. ITU-T, the ITU’s standardisation sector, is host to standardisation expert groups known as Study Groups. Participation in these groups is an ITU membership privilege. Covered areas include future networks, security, Internet of Things and circular economy-related standardisation. Developed work has an important influence on the standards crafted and adopted at European level, with direct market impact.

DIGITAL SME aims to ensure global ICT standards are reflective of an inclusive standards-making process. Technical standards have become a new field of geopolitical competition: they can lower barriers to trade, limit compliance costs, and help SMEs expand into new markets. Yet international ICT standardisation tends to be of difficult access to SMEs, often leading to standards which are non-practical and preventing proper market uptake.

By obtaining access to the technical work as sector member, DIGITAL SME can follow all ITU-T Study Groups, comment on draft standards and working documents, and participate in all steps of the standards-making process. It can participate in the ITU Council, ITU’s Plenipotentiary Conference, and the World Telecommunication Standardisation Assembly.

“ITU standardisation work is of high impact for SME entrepreneurs in Europe who wish to influence the standards-making process in their industry at its core. DIGITAL SME’s membership will enable mutually beneficial synergies around such work “reacted Oliver Grün, President of the European DIGITAL SME Alliance. “DIGITAL SME looks forward to further collaborating with governments towards better public-private partnerships, in which digital SMEs offer knowledge and technology alternatives to set standards that better serve the needs of society”.

“The agility, ambition and specialized skills of small and medium-sized enterprises make them key digital tech innovators with fast-growing influence on global markets,” said Seizo Onoe, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Bureau. “Working on ITU standards can bring even greater stimulus to this influence, and I applaud DIGITAL SME for creating this opportunity for its members to join ITU’s global community.”

As sector member, DIGITAL SME can enable several of its own members to participate freely in ITU’s work under its umbrella.
It is through leveraging the expertise of its 45.000 strong membership base that DIGITAL SME will be able to best contribute to ITU’s successful work – keeping technology open, human-centric and based on the needs of most business players.

Interested parties are encouraged to reach out by completing this form.

For further information on this initiative, please contact Serena Dell’Agli, DIGITAL SME Senior Technology Manager, at s.dellagli@digitalsme.eu.