Princess Royal visits IEC General Meeting

Princess Anne addressing participants at the IEC General Meeting. (Photo: IEC)

The Princess Royal's visit was one of the highlights of the recent IEC General Meeting (GM) in Edinburgh. In her speech to GM participants, Princess Anne underscored the importance of the four-day event in fostering innovation, sustainability and global collaboration to realize the IEC vision of an all-electric and connected society.

For readers who may not be familiar with the concept, it is a vision that harnesses international standards and conformity assessment to create sustainable, resilient and economically vibrant living conditions based on universal access to affordable and clean energy. Sectors like healthcare, manufacturing and transport will be electrified and digitalized to deliver more economic opportunity for everyone.

During her visit, Princess Anne noted the IEC's commitment to ensuring that voices from all corners of the globe are included in the standardization process. She also commended the IEC's Young Professionals Programme for its efforts in promoting standardization and encouraging women to pursue careers in STEM fields.

The Princess Royal expressed her admiration for the enduring relevance of the IEC and its ability to foster global collaboration in an increasingly complex world.

More than 1 200 delegates from 90 countries gathered in Edinburgh for the IEC General Meeting, with hundreds more participating remotely. They participated in a series of forward-looking industry talks, workshops and seminars, with a particular focus on smart cities, sustainability, net-zero transition and emerging digital technologies, including artificial Intelligence and quantum.

Philippe Metzger, IEC Secretary-General, said: "We were privileged to present our work on international standards and conformity assessment to Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal at our annual gathering. Standards and conformity assessment are powerful tools that can help governments implement policies more efficiently and reach development goals more quickly.

"The IEC General Meeting is an important occasion for stakeholders to meet and lay the foundation for a better future. One where everyone has access to clean and sustainable energy and where technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum can be leveraged for the benefit of humankind".