Standards and Smart ICT

In Luxembourg, ILNAS (the National Standards Body) promotes the development of a national culture of technical standardization. In this frame, ILNAS supports the related education and research activities of technical standardization. This momentum is notably carried out, commonly with the University of Luxembourg, through the University certificate "Smart ICT for Business Innovation" (more information on University website or on ILNAS web portal) and the research program "Normalisation technique pour une utilisation fiable dans le domaine «Smart ICT» (ILNAS webpage on the research program).

Technical standardization and standards play an important role in support of Smart ICT technologies. It provides a first-hand insight into latest developments, contributing to innovation, taking a part into harmonization of systems and procedures, opening access to markets and supporting progress. Moreover, technical standardization is an important engine bringing interoperability, compatibility, quality, and compliance (common components, requirements, specifications, etc.). This field provides the state of the art in Smart ICT domain, the knowledge expansion and the latest research and innovation developments, answering directly to market needs, completely business driven and globally based on broad consensus.

Research Pillars

Technical standardization and standards can support establishing and maintaining (digital) trust in relation to Smart ICT technologies. In that context, and in relation to the pillars of the research program, the following technical committees are considered (not limited to, but mainly):

o Smart ICT and Standardization

• ISO/IEC JTC 1 - Information technology. It is a Joint Technical Committee (JTC) between the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) dedicated to information technology (IT) standardization. It is currently the main active standardization committee in this area. Luxembourg is a P-Member of ISO/IEC JTC1.

o Big Data & Analytics

• ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 42 (Artificial Intelligence). SC42 focuses on the standardization of various aspects of Artificial Intelligence, such as foundations (vocabulary and framework definition), computational approaches, and trustworthiness. SC42 looks into practical use cases and applications in order to deliver standards that would provide guidance to the stakeholders developing Artificial Intelligence applications. The goal of SC42 is to serve as the focus and proponent for JTC 1's standardization program on Artificial Intelligence. Luxembourg is a P-Member of ISO/IEC JTC1/SC 42. For more detail on national activities of this subcommittee, please follow this link.
• ISO/IEC JTC 1/WG 9 - Big Data (Disbanded in May 2018). The scope of WG 9 covers the development of foundational standards for Big Data including reference architecture and vocabulary standards for guiding Big Data efforts throughout JTC 1 upon which other standards can be developed. The scope also targets to identify gaps in Big Data standardization.

Note: The program of work of ISO/IEC JTC 1/WG 9 (Big Data) was transferred to ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC42 Artificial Intelligence.

• ISO/TC 276 - Biotechnology. This technical committee is developing standards in the field of biotechnology processes that includes the terms and definitions, biobanks and bioresources, analytical methods, bioprocessing, data processing including annotation, analysis, validation, comparability, and integration.

o Internet-of-Things (IoT)

• ISO/IEC JTC1/SC 41 - Internet of Things and related technologies. SC 41 aims to provide standardization activities in IoT and related technologies, including sensor networks and wearable technologies. Its scope is defined to serve as the focus and proponent for JTC 1's standardization program on the IoT related areas; and to provide guidance to JTC1, IEC, ISO and other entities developing applications in IoT related domains. Luxembourg is a P-Member of ISO/IEC JTC1/SC 41. For more detail on national activities of this subcommittee, please follow this link.
• ISO/TC 20/SC 16 - Unmanned aircraft systems. The subcommittee works on standardization in the field of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) including, but not limited to, classification, design, manufacture, operation (including maintenance) and safety management of UAS operations. Three working groups, namely general, product manufacturing and maintenance, and operations and procedures are structured to develop standards in this sector.

o Cloud Computing

• ISO/IEC JTC1/SC 38 - Cloud Computing and Distributed Platforms. SC 38 is responsible for the development of standards to support distributed computing paradigms - with a specific focus on Cloud Computing. The scope of the SC 38 is on developing standards on foundational concepts and technologies, operational issues, and interactions among Cloud Computing systems and with other distributed systems. Luxembourg is a P-Member of ISO/IEC JTC1/SC 38. For more detail on national activities of this subcommittee, please follow this link.

o Digital Trust and Security Aspects

• ISO/IEC JTC1/SC 27 - IT Security techniques. SC 27 is an internationally recognized center of information and IT security standards expertise serving the needs of business sectors as well as governments. Its work covers the development of standards through five working-groups (WG), each focusing on a specific aspect of this area. This includes generic methods, techniques, and guidelines to address both security and privacy aspects, such as security requirements capture methodology, management of information and ICT security, information security management systems, security processes. It also includes cryptographic and other security mechanisms, security aspects of identity management, biometrics and privacy, security evaluation criteria and methodology.
• ETSI/TC Cyber. This technical committee is responsible for standardization of cyber security and for providing a center of relevant security expertise. ETSI notably produces standards globally applicable for ICT, including fixed, mobile, radio, converged, broadcast and internet technologies. ETSI is particularly involved in Smart ICT standardization with activities regarding, for example, Internet of Things, Smart Cities, Cyber security or Green ICT. ETSI/TC Cyber is working in cooperation with the CEN and the CENELEC on privacy by design. The activities of TC Cyber include cyber security, security advice, guidance and operational security requirements to users, manufacturers. The areas of work also include security of infrastructures, devices, services, and protocols, as well as security tools and techniques to ensure security.

Standards Analysis - Smart Secure ICT Luxembourg

The Smart ICT Standards Analysis, published first time in 2017 by ILNAS and yearly updated, is conceived as a practical guide to all the national stakeholders regarding standardization activities in the field of selected Smart ICT. Its latest update for 2018, Standards Analysis -- Smart Secure ICT Luxembourg concentrates on standardization activities in the field of Smart ICT domains, such as Internet of Things, Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence as well as Blockchain together with Digital Trust related standards developments to these technologies. The purpose of this Standards Analysis is to inform national stakeholders about the major standardization activities and technical committees related to Smart Secure ICT with the objective to offer them guidance for a potential future involvement in the standards development process. It also provides a support to the current and future development of ILNAS standardization at national level (i.e., in research and education).

This Standards Analysis is organized as follows. The importance of standardization along with its objectives and introduction of standardization landscape in national, European and international level have been included in Chapter 1. Chapter 2 proposes a definition of Smart ICT, provides an economical overview of ICT and introduces main interactions between the Smart ICT technologies included in this analysis. Chapter 3 further details each of these Smart ICT technologies by providing some basic concepts and presenting relevant technical committees. Requirements of Digital Trust for Smart ICT are also detailed in this chapter together with related technical committees. 5G and Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) are included at the end of this chapter to aware national stakeholder about the standardization developments in these areas. Chapter 4 presents opportunities related to standardization for national stakeholders. It also introduces how ILNAS is supporting national economy through technical standardization. Chapter 5 provides a summary of this Standards Analysis and reiterates the commitment of ILNAS to assist national entities with their involvement in technical standardization. Finally, lists of both published standards and projects are included in the Appendix for each Smart ICT technology, as well as related Digital Trust standards.

More Information on Standardization

ILNAS, with the support of ANEC GIE, actively contributes to inform national stakeholders about developments related to technical standardization and support their normative steps, particularly in the ICT area. In this context, standardization-related opportunities offered by ILNAS at national level are describes on the portail-qualite.lu, including:

• Registration in technical committees, offering the possibility to participate actively in the standardization process;

• Trainings in technical standardization, notably in the Smart ICT area;

• Free consultation of standards through reading stations across the country;

• And More.