The main factor for the successful year 2021 was, of course, our fields of work with their experts and responsible persons. Without them, the development of standards would not be possible. With outstanding work, dialog, competence and commitment, they continued to drive forward standardization.
To increase trust and safety around artificial intelligence, the first AI standard was launched this year – from Germany by the committee DKE/AK 801.0.8 in the form of VDE-AR-E 2842-61.
The VDE application guide, which is based on the IEC 61508 standard, now bundles a wealth of experience that has crystallized over decades of research with a uniform procedure model – from data collection to training intelligent networks to analysis.
Dr. Henrik Putzer and Dr. Harald Rueß, members of the DKE/AK 801.0.8 working group, explained that the fear of AI is unfounded. On the contrary, it has the potential to analyze vast amounts of data almost everywhere through special procedures and to scale statistical correlations in order to optimize processes and systems and provide support.
For a more practical implementation of DIN VDE 0105-100 for the safe operation of electrical installations, the DKE/K 224 committee has explained the regulations of the standard in an easy-to-understand manner in Volume 13 of the VDE publication series.
In addition to DIN VDE 0105-100, the standard DIN VDE 1000-10, which describes the requirements for persons working in the field of electrical engineering, must also be taken into account.
In order to fulfill the essential goal of these standards – the safe use of and work on, with or in the vicinity of electrical installations – we as the DKE have published a series of articles with technical information on the operation of electrical installations, each of which addresses the most important aspects or expresses the connection between individual standards.
In keeping with the quote by the well-known British writer Arthur C. Clarke: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic", with which the VDE DKE Conference on Functional Safety opened, the event offered an interesting range of presentations on topics and factors that point the way for advancing technologies.
The presentations at the three-day event ranged from basic standards such as IEC 61508 to functional safety in the context of artificial intelligence, aerospace or explosion protection, and cybersecurity in the context of, for example, "smart contracts" or "smart executions."
The VDE DKE Conference on Functional Safety was held online for the first time and set a new record with over 260 participants.
The third version of the German Resource Efficiency Programme (ProgRess III) was approved by the German cabinet on June 17, 2020. The aim of ProgRess III is to increase resource efficiency along the entire value chain.
In this context, DIN, VDI and DKE have published a standardization map on resource efficiency. In the paper, the joint action group analyses standards and specifications that are already being applied today in value chains and material cycles and thus make an important contribution to the German Resource Efficiency Programme ProgRess III. At the same time, the standardization map identifies needs for standardization projects with a view to greater resource efficiency.
By founding the new body, activities of DIN and DKE in the field of cybersecurity will be bundled and standardization structures will be further developed at European level. The aim is to do justice to the increasingly cross-cutting nature of cybersecurity and the expected stronger European standardization activities on, for example, harmonized European standards.
The national activities for the processing of European standardization projects of CEN CENELEC Joint Technical Committee 13 and ETSI Technical Committee Cyber will from now on be managed by the new body across all standards committees, and the interests of German industry, science, the public sector and consumers will be represented by DIN and DKE.
Despite the expansion of the charging and discharging infrastructure in recent years, uncertainty still prevails on the operator and end customer side – especially with regard to the payment system at the charging station.
With the new VDE-AR-E 2532-100 and the revised charging stations regulation (LSV), a basis for comprehensive standardization and a uniform payment system at the charging station has been created – crucial for the expansion of electromobility in order to contribute to environmental protection in road traffic.
The VDE application guide developed in the DKE/K 353 committee is aimed in particular at charging station operators. The aim is to create uniform standards for handling authentication and billing processes at charging stations.
In many fields such as energy technology, it is a challenge to combine existing systems with new technologies, e.g. artificial intelligence. However, since AI can support the energy ecosystem in terms of flexibility, resilience and security, the DKE whitepaper AI Energy has been developed to provide a foundation for both disciplines.
The whitepaper provides a comprehensive introduction and overview of the increasingly complex world of energy technology in the context of artificial intelligence. It is divided into different parts.
On the one hand, the possibilities of AI in energy technology and the expert groups and activities in the field of energy are presented. And secondly, known architectures and existing standards and specifications are highlighted with regard to possible AI relevance.
Lightning protection standards provide essential requirements to ensure that no damage is caused by lightning during increasingly frequent thunderstorms.
Probably the most important series of standards is DIN EN 62305 (VDE 0185-305). As a translated version of the internationally harmonized IEC 62305 series of standards, it describes general principles, risk management, protection of structures and persons, and electrical and electronic systems in structures. Supplementary sheets provide additional information on the application of the respective part of the standard.
This year, for the first time, we have published a clear presentation of the parts of the standard, including a brief description, in the form of a technical information sheet. The aim is to provide experts and those concerned with better orientation on this important topic in order to increase safety and quality in the field of lightning protection.
As a counter-model to the linear economy, the circular economy aims to increase resource efficiency along the entire value chain – more important than ever in view of the finite resources of our planet. Standards and specifications help to take this requirement into account right at the start of a value chain. An excellent example at this point is the International Standard IEC 62430.
To continue to achieve such successful results, it is important to work together and think in cycles. For this reason, the plan for a circular economy standardization roadmap was adopted by DIN, DKE and VDI and presented at a kick-off event. In a technical briefing, we informed the standardization community in detail about the project and the possibility of registering for participation in the standardization roadmap on DIN.ONE by the end of 2021.
As one of the IEC's highest honours for outstanding international standardization work, this year's IEC Thomas A. Edison Award went to Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Doppelbauer and Karl Hiereth.
Martin Doppelbauer is Chairman of IEC TC 2 and Chairman of DKE mirror committee K 311 "Rotating machinery" and has been involved in international standardization work in this field for almost 20 years.
Karl Hiereth is Chairman of IEC/SC 121A and IEC/TC 121, Chairman of the DKE mirror committee K 431 "Switchgear and controlgear and their assemblies for low voltage", as well as Liaison Officer in several IEC TCs and representative in IEC/ACEE. Over the past 30 years, he has played a key role in promoting standardization in the field of low-voltage switchgear and controlgear.
We warmly congratulate both experts for their commitment and work.
DIN and DKE, together with the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS), have given the go-ahead for work on the second edition of the German standardization roadmap for Artificial Intelligence.
DIN and DKE also established the Joint Committee on Artificial Intelligence to further develop activities and standardization structures in this area and to further intensify their cooperation. Since 2019, this has served, among other things, to coordinate the Artificial Intelligence Standardization Roadmap and to initiate and support international standardization projects from Germany.
Work on the second edition of the standardization roadmap will kick off with an event on January 20, 2022, at which interested experts will be able to find out more about getting involved.
Man is routine, quickly familiar with habits. We are therefore all the more pleased to have also mastered the persistently unusual year 2021 together so successfully. With the help of new processes, virtual events and interested people, we have been able to celebrate numerous successes in recent months.
Knowing that we have such a committed, adaptable community at our side, which is open to change and always remains motivated, is a gift for us as DKE and for standardization, which depends on such a community. All the more reason for us all to enjoy a leisurely end to the year and look back on all that we have been able to achieve in 2021.
We thank you for your interest and your commitment. You have all contributed to the success of DKE and we are proud to continue to develop standardization together with you in the coming year.
Numerous experts and standardization participants are honored for their commitment in standardization. From the IEC 1906 Award to the DKE Pin or the Best Thesis Award to other awards and significant positions in standardization that highlight the relevance of standardization experts.
Michael Teigeler, Managing Director of DKE, congratulates Ann-Kathrin Carl
| DKEDuring the pitch on May 31, 2021, this year's STS participants presented their master theses.
Afterwards, the jury had the task to choose the best thesis. The winner was Ann-Kathrin Carl with her master thesis "Identification of noise sources in neonatal intensive care units based on work process analysis and sound measurements".
The award ceremony took place on July 20, 2021, in the VDE Building in Frankfurt.
We are looking to the future so that we can continue to successfully develop standards and their environment in the coming year. In addition to the DKE Digital Strategy, an important part of this lies in our funding programs, with which you can contribute your ideas and skills to standardization and promote them.
Alongside politics, science and industry, the digital transformation is also a future-driving factor in standardization: digital standardization is an essential component of its future strategy.
Initiated at the IEC General Meeting 2016, the DKE Standardization 2020 program gained worldwide recognition. The results of this successful program were incorporated into the DKE digital strategy.
Metrology, standardization, accreditation, conformity assessment and market surveillance are the five pillars of Germany's quality infrastructure (QI), which plays a pioneering role worldwide. It is the essential basic prerequisite for the competitiveness of German companies and the success of "Made in Germany". The task now is to digitize it. The goal is to expand and anchor Germany's leading position in terms of quality and safety throughout Europe in digitization as well.
