Piloting standardisation-support services for research projects: preliminary findings

This paper presents preliminary findings from an ongoing study of the HSbooster.eu (HSB) project, a European Union (EU)-funded pilot initiative that supports EU-funded research and innovation projects through the delivery of a wide set of standardisation-support services. Since its start in April 2022, HSB has employed a "learning by doing" approach across several service phases, including the initial design of a service matrix in the proposal stage and its subsequent revision and expansion following continuous feedback sessions with the engaged projects and standardisation experts. This paper primarily focuses on the outcomes and insights from the so-called “premium” services offered by HSB, particularly one-to-one consultancies, providing a perspective on the challenges within the standardisation process that research projects typically encounter. Preliminary results indicate benefits for projects in terms of reducing the challenges by gaining a clearer understanding of their standardisation potential and the various actions they can undertake within standardisation, in addition to receiving more detailed and personalised support. This research is part of a broader study that will continue to gather and analyse data for a comprehensive report on lessons learned, which will be delivered to the European Commission by the end of July 2024. The aim is to inform future policy and support frameworks to enhance the effectiveness of standardisation in EU-funded projects.