INNOVATIVE ELEMENTS OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE STANDARDIZATION OF MATERIALS AND PRODUCTS OF LIGHT INDUSTRY

Abstract

Standards form the backbone of our professional and private lives, and innovation is a major source of growth and prosperity for our economies. Standardization is also a platform used by researchers and other participants in the innovation process in various industries. Similar to the innovation process, standards development brings together the knowledge and experience of different stakeholders, resulting in solutions that are relevant and accessible to a wide range of professionals and consumers. Rapid technological development creates an environment for innovations based on the combination of classical technologies, information and communication technologies, the formation of new business models and the wider involvement of various stakeholders in business processes. The paper shows the existence of links between standardization and the innovation process in the light industry. Similarities were founded in such characteristics as cooperation between different stakeholders, ensuring mutual understanding and consensus, as well as the application of accumulated information, knowledge and best practices. This relationship concerns both the current and future needs of society and all stakeholders, the creation of an environment of sustainable development. The paper established that innovation activity and the process of standardization in light industry use common elements of information and communication technologies: artificial intelligence, 3D printing, virtual reality, blockchain, etc., which increase the speed, level and quality of the results of both concepts, contribute to the development of the business environment and form new business models, thus also contributing to the development of new types of products, services and technologies, competitiveness and international trade. As a result of the study, a model that combines elements of ICT, the process of creating standards, innovations and their relationship is proposed. The proposed model confirms that the development of standards and the creation and dissemination of innovations are interrelated and cyclical processes that can contribute to the development of the economy, ensuring that the needs of different stakeholders are taken into account, achieving a common understanding of development concepts, as well as ensuring progress in achieving sustainable development goals.