Standardization News

What a wonderful time to be part of ASTM International. In a few short weeks, we will begin celebrating our 125th Anniversary, a momentous milestone only made possible through the unwavering efforts of our members, governance, and staff, past and present. As we look ahead to the thrilling year to come, I also think it is important to celebrate our many accomplishments in 2022, and there are quite a few to acknowledge.

While ASTM’s January standards-development meetings were held virtually, we’ve seen a robust return to hybrid and in-person meetings throughout the rest of the year. I am happy to report that attendance at our spring committee week and independent meetings was strong. This fall, we anticipate attendance to return to pre-pandemic levels. This brings me much joy, as I know the commitment and connection of our members is what makes ASTM International so unique – and separates us from other standards-development organizations.

In addition to successful in-person meetings, we’ve also seen an uptick in our return to international travel. With that has come exciting new partnerships, memorandums of understanding (MoUs), and expansion of established cooperation agreements as well. This year alone, ASTM International established new MoUs with standards bodies in Argentina and Mexico, the Korea Institute of Aviation Safety Technology, the National Safety Council, and BioPhorum. ASTM also extended and expanded a 2019 cooperation agreement with CEN, the European Committee for Standardization. Combined, these efforts have bolstered ASTM’s ongoing commitment to global standards development and international cooperation.

ASTM also successfully launched a new student chapter at the University of Central Lancashire in England, which will focus on the exo technology industry. This is ASTM’s third student chapter, joining the Universidad de Ingenería y Tecnología in Peru and Florida International University in the United States, as these chapters continue to serve as pathways for the education and onboarding of new and prospective student members.

Another major milestone this year was the June launch of ASTM Xcellerate, an emerging technology program focused on strengthening the world of technology from research to standards. ASTM Xcellerate currently encompasses four primary technologies including additive manufacturing, exo technologies, emerging airspace, and robotics and automation. Moving forward, this program will support ASTM’s position as a leading standards-development organization and thought leader in key emerging technologies.

And no list of accomplishments would be complete without acknowledging the tireless work of you, our members. By the end of 2022, our members will have developed and approved well over 100 new standards, revised over 1,000 existing standards, and proposed countless others. Your work empowers consumer confidence and consistently supports ASTM International’s mission of helping our world work better.

I would also like to take a moment to acknowledge and celebrate the 50th anniversary of Standardization News (SN). For five decades, SN has supported and promoted the work of our members, partners, and staff. Over the years, this flagship publication has highlighted the many wonderful accomplishments of our organization, shared exciting news and activities, and told unique and engaging stories. I am proud of the work of SN’s editorial staff throughout the years and look forward to many more issues of SN to come.

Now it’s time to set our sights on ASTM’s 125th Anniversary. We know this anniversary wouldn’t be possible without you, our members and partners, so I am pleased to share that together we’ll be celebrating this historic occasion with dozens of events and activities throughout the year, including a webinar series, committee week celebrations, college chapter events, special receptions and conferences around the world, a case study competition, and much more.

Keep an eye on our website for the debut of a special 125th Anniversary webpage, featuring an interactive timeline, a virtual guestbook, and a news and events page. 

Cheers to a successful 2022 and a historic 2023.

Katharine E. Morgan
President, ASTM International