The world is in the midst of the Fourth Industrial
Revolution (4IR) powered by digital technologies that are
transforming society, economies and the environment.
Increasingly connecting objects, machines, people
and the environment, the disruptive nature of these
technological innovations makes it difficult to plan
for and anticipate the future. What is clear is that the
seismic shift that digital transformation brings has major
implications for sustainable development.
Timely and harmonized standards can play a pivotal
role in shaping the digital transformation process,
complementing regulations and contributing to digital
transformation governance. Standards can facilitate
the ongoing digitalization of industry by enhancing
productivity and efficiency, promoting compatibility and
interoperability between products and processes through
common language, while guaranteeing minimum levels
of quality and safety. Furthermore, standards can serve
as accelerators of change as they promote innovation
and the uptake of new digital technologies and spread
knowledge through codification.
This brochure, introduces a broader publication developed
by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization
(UNIDO), which describes digital transformation, its key
drivers and the implications for three of the Sustainable
Development Goal (SDG) pillars—people, prosperity and
planet. It also highlights the role of standards in digital
transformation governance. A review of the international
standards landscape was undertaken for seven of the
most-trending digital technologies of the 4IR. While
standardization reflects the different features and
scope of impacts of 4IR technologies, this publication
identifies the essential criteria to understand how to
develop appropriate and effective standards for digital
transformation worldwide. Based on the review, further
consideration is given to what good governance principles
are necessary for guiding the development of standards
in the digital technology landscape to ensure that the
technologies remain human-centered and aligned to the
goals of sustainability.
©UNIDO, 14 October 2021
