Standardization News

Steven Spivak, Ph.D. (right), with Yusuf Ulcay, Ph.D., a professor at Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey, panel moderator and a principal organizer for the annual UTIB Turkish Textiles and Clothing R&D Brokerage Event and Conference.

Steven M. Spivak, Ph.D., professor emeritus, textile science and fire protection engineering at the University of Maryland, and an ASTM International William T. Cavanaugh Memorial Award winner, was a featured speaker on a standardization panel at the International R&D Brokerage Event and Conference: UTIB Turkey Textile and Clothing Sectors, which was held April 3-4 in Bursa, Turkey. Spivak spoke on recognizing, appreciating and using standards to advance textile research and development, foster industry's intellectual investments, and promote international trade in textiles, clothing and furnishings.

In his remarks, Spivak emphasized recent trends and changes in national and international standardization and discussed the importance to industries and governments of taking a global approach to standards that embraces multiple pathways to international standardization.

Also on the UTIB Turkey conference panel was Üzeyir Karagöz, secretary general of the Turkish Standards Institution, known as TSE. Spivak presented a letter from ASTM recognizing the 10-year anniversary of ASTM's memorandum of understanding with TSE, which has yielded benefits and enhanced collaboration by both parties across a range of industrial sectors of interest to Turkey.

The UTIB standardization panel emphasized the critical importance of market-relevant standards in textiles and related sectors that help to advance research and development, product manufacturing, testing, quality assurance, marketing and trade.