Berlin/Düsseldorf/Frankfurt, October 14, 2025. “Standards create practical solutions instead of additional bureaucracy – they make laws understandable and thus relieve the burden on the economy and public administration, thereby ensuring Germany's competitiveness," emphasizes Christoph Winterhalter, Chairman of the DIN Executive Board.
Three levers for the modern state
In their joint position paper, the organizations propose three concrete measures:
- Standardization check for laws – check whether existing standards can be used.
- Competence building in administration – integrate standards into education and training.
- Accelerating digitization – automating processes based on standards and reducing bureaucratic costs.
"The engine of innovation is sputtering because political decisions too often ignore technical realities. When government regulations and standardizations developed in collaboration with industry go hand in hand, we create momentum for modernization. This guarantees that regulations work in practice and can be quickly adapted when changes occur," says Adrian Willig, Director of the VDI.
Practical examples
- The law defines the protection goal – a reference to VDE rules in the EnWG regulates implementation – clear, streamlined, effective.
- Drinking water: The VDI 6023 guideline ensures the efficient implementation of legal requirements and guarantees drinking water quality.
- Administration: DIN SPEC 66336 was created in just three months and enables user-friendly e-government processes.
"Digital standards are the key to automating administrative processes and saving billions in costs," explains Michael Teigeler, Managing Director of DKE.
Studies have shown that the added value of standardization for the German economy amounts to approximately 1.8% of Germany's gross domestic product (GDP) annually (according to a Fraunhofer study) (German version).
The position paper is available for download here (German version).
About DIN
DIN, the German Institute for Standardization, is the independent platform for standardization in Germany and worldwide. Together with industry, scientific institutions, public authorities and civil society as a whole, DIN plays a major role in identifying future areas for standardization. By helping to shape the green and digital transformation, DIN makes an important contribution towards solving current challenges and enables new technologies, products and processes to establish themselves on the market and in society. More than 37,500 experts from industry, research, consumer protection and the public sector bring their expertise to work on standardization projects managed by DIN. The results of these efforts are market-oriented standards and specifications that promote global trade, encouraging rationalization, quality assurance and environmental protection as well as improving security and communication.
For more information, visit www.din.de.
About DKE
The DKE German Commission for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies (DKE) is the national platform for about 10,000 experts from industry, science and public administration to elaborate standards and safety specifications for electrical engineering, electronics and information technology. Standards support global trade and, among other things, the safety, interoperability and functionality of products and systems. As a competence centre for electrotechnical standardization, the DKE represents the interests of German industry in European (CENELEC, ETSI) and international standardization organizations (IEC). In addition, the DKE provides comprehensive services in the field of standardization and VDE specifications.
VDE, one of the largest technology organizations in Europe, has been regarded as a synonym for innovation and technological progress for more than 130 years. VDE is the only organization in the world that combines science, standardization, testing, certification, and application consulting under one umbrella. The VDE mark has been synonymous with the highest safety standards and consumer protection for more than 100 years. Our passion is the advancement of technology, the next generation of engineers and technologists, and lifelong learning and career development “on the job”. Within the VDE network more than 2,000 employees at over 60 locations worldwide, more than 100,000 honorary experts, and around 1,500 companies are dedicated to ensuring a future worth living: networked, digital, electrical.
Shaping the e-dialistic future.
Mehr Informationen unter www.dke.de.
About VDI
For more than 165 years, the VDI has been providing important impetus for technical progress. With its unique community and enormous diversity, it is a designer, knowledge multiplier, third-largest technical rule-setter, and mediator between technology and science, business, and politics. It motivates people to push the boundaries of what is possible, sets standards for sustainable innovation, and makes an important contribution to securing progress and prosperity in Germany. The VDI is shaping the world of tomorrow – as an interface between engineers, science, business, politics, and society. In its unique multidisciplinary network with around 130,000 members, it brings together the knowledge and skills needed to shape the path to the future.
Information on the VDI can be found at www.vdi.de.
