INSTAR · International cooperation for digital standardisation

INSTAR unites experts, policymakers, and industry leaders to ensure global standards align with market needs and do not hinder technology innovation. By harmonising objectives and strengthening Europe’s leadership in ICT standardisation, INSTAR contributes to more secure, competitive, and widely adopted digital technologies. Its main objectives are to build alliances, explore opportunities for synergies and develop joint priorities with international like-minded partners to support the EU Digital Partnerships, Trade & Technology Agreements and contribute towards seamless, interoperable digital ecosystems.Within the scope of the project are two key activities. The first is the operation of European Task Forces (ETFs), which are specialised groups of European standardisation experts dedicated to facilitating robust knowledge exchange and influencing the development of international standards in line with EU policies. These ETFs focus on 6 technology domains, namely: Artificial Intelligence (AI); Cybersecurity and Digital Identity (eID); Data; Cloud, Edge, Internet of Things (IoT); 5G+ and 6G; Quantum technologies. By integrating technical and industry expertise, the ETFs members come together to ensure that European perspectives and priorities are well-defined and that EU-supported standards are adequately represented and influential in shaping the future of technology.The second key activity is the work of International Task Forces (ITFs), set up to align European standardisation priorities with those of international partners across Australia, Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and the US. The ITFs foster collaboration with key global actors to identify common interests and shared goals in the aforementioned technology domains. Once areas of alignment are established, the ITFs work together on joint priorities that can be brought across key standardisation communities.