Norms and standards are essential for industry – and indispensible for success on the global market. Over 93 percent of the VDE member companies consider norms and standards to be the key to serving Germany’s international techno-political interests. The German Commission for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies of DIN and VDE plays an eminent role in international standardization, and has its experts working in all major IEC policy bodies, holding important international offices, and serving on over 30 technical committees. In 2007, 40 DKE experts were presented with the IEC 1906 Award for their outstanding engagement. Throughout the year, the DKE worked to keep improving company integration into major international networks and further reduce the risks of pursuing non-marketable developments. Germany is a global pacemaker in nano-norms, putting our industry in a strong position to win the standards competition in growth markets. The IEC Energy Efficiency & Renewable Resources, constituted in May, is headed by a German and will play a key role in introducing and harmonizing energy efficiency classifications and standards. Germany is also a major player in defining standards for renewable energy, as well as standardizing safety and innovations for the automotive industry.