ISO/TC 172 N 412

ISO/TC 172 Revised Business Plan pending approval
Date: 2023-08-17
Page:
1

STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLAN
ISO/TC 172
Optics and photonics

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
ISO/TC 172 sets standards for terminology, requirements, interfaces and test methods in the field of optics
and photonics. This includes complete systems, devices, instruments, ophthalmic goods including implants,
optical and photonic components, auxiliary devices and accessories, as well as materials. Optics andphotonics is used in the meaning of generation, handling and detection of optical radiation including signal
processing. (Excluded from the scope are: standardisation for specific items in the field of cinematography,
photography, eye protectors, micrographics, fibre optics for telecommunication, electrical safety of opticalelements, general lighting and photovoltaic.)
Optics and photonics as independent fields and interdisciplinary technologies are going to play an evenmore significant role in our lives. It is expected that the photon will be the basis for a technical revolution inthis century like the electron was the one for the 20th century. Optics and photonics are "enabling
technologies" which will influence a wide field of applications such as information technology, telecommunications, defense and security, lighting and energy, healthcare and life sciences, as well as
industrial production and automation. Due to the growing importance of interdisciplinary topics, (i.e. smart
products, AR/VR devices,…), ISO/TC 172 cooperates with the relevant other standardization organizations,such as IEC.
The range of products comprises highly sophisticated complete optical systems down to ‘simple’ semifinished products or components. The market for optical products is a global one. The world-wide total
photonics market size in 2017 was approx. 530 billions USD), at a growth rate estimated as 6-8 %. 1
As some of the products are subject to legal regulations, for example, in the healthcare or machinery sector(laser safety), standards help the manufacturer to show conformity with the relevant legal requirements andthey are therefore an important supportive measure for easy access to the market. To that extent
Standardization also provides a language to communicate about technical solutions, details and qualities.
Standardisation supports legal deregulation. Industry, together with the other concerned parties, sets its own
rules by means of voluntary standardisation (‘self-regulation’) and reduces such the need for legal
regulations. The European ‘New Approach’ is a prominent example for such ‘task-sharing’ between industry
and government.
Since its establishment in 1978, ISO/TC 172 and its sub-committees have developed a set of approximately
300 International Standards.
Optics and photonics are key technologies for the 21st century and voluntary standardisation is an important
supportive measure that promises enormous strategic benefits for this interdisciplinary field of technology.
ISO/TC 172 is prepared to provide this service, but it needs more support from corporate management.

1 Source: Photonik-Trendreport 2019/2020, published by: SPECTARIS Deutscher Industrieverband für

optische, medizinische und mechatronische Technologien e. V., Werderscher Markt 15, 10117 Berlin,
Germany..

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1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 ISO technical committees and business planning
The extension of formal business planning to ISO Technical Committees (ISO/TCs) is an important measure
which forms part of a major review of business. The aim is to align the ISO work programme with expressedbusiness environment needs and trends and to allow ISO/TCs to prioritize among different projects, toidentify the benefits expected from the availability of International Standards, and to ensure adequate
resources for projects throughout their development.
1.2 International standardization and the role of ISO
The foremost aim of international standardization is to facilitate the exchange of goods and services throughthe elimination of technical barriers to trade.
Three bodies are responsible for the planning, development and adoption of International Standards: ISO(International Organization for Standardization) is responsible for all sectors excluding Electrotechnical,
which is the responsibility of IEC (International Electrotechnical Committee), and most of theTelecommunications Technologies, which are largely the responsibility of ITU (International
Telecommunication Union).
ISO is a legal association, the members of which are the National Standards Bodies (NSBs) of some 164
countries (organizations representing social and economic interests at the international level), supported bya Central Secretariat based in Geneva, Switzerland.
The principal deliverable of ISO is the International Standard.
An International Standard embodies the essential principles of global openness and transparency,
consensus and technical coherence. These are safeguarded through its development in an ISO TechnicalCommittee (ISO/TC), representative of all interested parties, supported by a public comment phase (the ISO
Technical Enquiry). ISO and its Technical Committees are also able to offer the ISO Technical Specification(ISO/TS), the ISO Public Available Specification (ISO/PAS) and the ISO Technical Report (ISO/TR) as
solutions to market needs. These ISO products represent lower levels of consensus and have therefore not
the same status as an International Standard.
ISO offers also the International Workshop Agreement (IWA) as a deliverable which aims to bridge the gap
between the activities of consortia and the formal process of standardization represented by ISO and its
national members. An important distinction is that the IWA is developed by ISO workshops and fora,
comprising only participants with direct interest, and so it is not accorded the status of an International
Standard.

2

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT OF THE ISO/TC

2.1 Description of the Business Environment
The following political, economic, technical, regulatory, legal and social dynamics describe the businessenvironment of the industry sector, products, materials, disciplines or practices related to the scope of this
ISO/TC, and they may significantly influence how the relevant standards development processes are
conducted and the content of the resulting standards:
ISO/TC 172 sets standards for terminology, requirements, interfaces and test methods in the field of optics
and photonics. This includes complete systems, devices, instruments, ophthalmic goods including implants,
optical and photonic components, auxiliary devices and accessories, as well as materials. Optics and2023-TC_172_Draft_prelim_Business_Plan_clean.doc

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photonics is used in the meaning of generation, handling and detection of optical radiation including signal
processing.
Excluded from the scope are: Standardisation for specific items in the field of cinematography (ISO/TC 36),
photography (ISO/TC 42), eye protectors (ISO/TC 94/SC 6), micrographics (ISO/TC 171), fibre optics fortelecommunication (IEC/TC 86), electrical safety of optical elements, general lighting and photovoltaic.
Optics and photonics as independent fields and interdisciplinary technologies are going to play an evenmore significant role in our lives. It is expected that the photon will be the basis for a technical revolution inthis century like the electron was the one for the 20th century. Optics and photonics are "enabling
technologies" which will influence a wide field of applications such as information technology, telecommunications, defense and security, lighting and energy, healthcare and life sciences, as well as
industrial production and automation and will contribute to the welfare of humanity.
Photonics is also considered a key enabler in exploiting the potential of nanotechnology. In this novel fieldlasers are e.g. used in nanotechnology fabrication processes, and in addition, nanoparticles can change theoptical attributes of materials used in photonics. Scientists work on the development of nanotechnology
enabled photonic devices, e.g. designs which are nanofabricated in optical materials with eventual
application in optical communication and biophotonic chips.
The range of products covered by TC 172 comprises ‘simple’ semi-finished products or components up tohighly sophisticated complete optical systems. Increasingly, the complexity of optical systems requires thedefinition of interfaces and the application of modular design. System competence is a sensitive capability
for interdisciplinary products. Interchangeability and interface definitions are crucial technical factors for suchproducts. Mechanical, optical and software interfaces are most important and need clear and uniform
definitions and appropriate standardised test procedures.
Business in optics comprises various sectors with a range of greatly differing product groups. Therefore,
R&D of optical systems now requires an interdisciplinary network of experts from different fields, particularlyin the area of medicine. Major product categories falling in the field in which ISO/TC 172 operates are:microscopes, telescopic systems, geodetic and surveying instruments, optical devices for medical purposes,
ophthalmic goods including implants, lasers (for medical and industrial use and consumer products) as wellas measuring and automation equipment.
Growth sectors in the market are medical optics, laser products, electro-optical systems and illumination anddetection systems. Other areas of growth will include detectors, optics for use outside the visible spectrum,arrays of optical elements, integrated optics and holographic optical elements. It is also expected that theuse of non-visible radiation is of growing importance in the optical industry. Big markets are displays andinformation technology for which optics and photonics products play an important role in terms of being an
enabling factor. Faster growing markets are high power lasers for production applications, medical devices
as well as optics themselves.
Here also the examples of big trends will be LIDAR, Head up displays and machine vision.
A new area for photonics is quantum photonics which is a promising new field..
The market area is characterised by fast changing product life cycles (high R&D expenditures) and fastchanging product techniques and technology (e.g. new imaging and detection principles; use of additional
spectral ranges).
There is an important portion of custom-made devices, e.g. for medical applications, space, astronomy,
global navigation, semiconductor production (steppers), Laser Welding, Cutting etc.
Often, optical products have to comply with legal requirements. E.g.: Many optical systems are medical
devices and have to comply with the local governmental regulations for health systems. In almost all cases,
environmental aspects of materials and/or recycling after life time are of growing importance and have to beconsistent with the laws.

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ISO/TC 172 serves as a unique home for standardisation related to optics and photonics in order topreserve the uniformity of the standards‘ system for the optical industry. This requirement is also due to thehigh diversity of the fields of application of optical technologies.

2.2 Quantitative Indicators of the Business Environment
The following list of quantitative indicators describes the business environment in order to provide adequate
information to support actions of the ISO/TC:
The market for optical products is a global one. The world-wide total photonics market size in 2017 wasapprox. 530 billions USD, at a growth rate estimated as 6-8 %.1
The following table provides an overview on main segments of the photonics market with their respective
market shares and volumes.1 The most right column assigns the activities by ISO/TC 172 subcommittees tothese market segments. The main activities of the sub-committees and the main product fields covered bythese, respectively, are decribed below.
Segment 2

World
Market2005 2(%)

World
Market2011 2(%)(Expected)
WorldMarket2020 3World
Market2005 2(billions
Euro)

World
Market2011 2(billions
Euro)(Expected)
WorldMarket2020(billionsEuro)

Products from these
Subcommittees of
ISO/TC 172 falling into
the segments(those given in brackets
contribute as provider ofenabling technology)(%)
Production technology
Measurement andautomated vision
Optical components andsystems
Safety and defense
technologies
Medical technology andlife science
Communication
technology
Information technology
Displays
Light sources
Photovoltaic
Total

6%
8%

6%
8%

7%
9%

13,7
18,2

21,0
28,0

43,1
55,34

SC 1, SC 3, SC 5, SC 9
SC 1, SC 3, SC 5, SC 6

5%

5%

6%

11,4

17,5

36,9

8%

7%

7%

18,2

24,5

43,1

8%

7%

7%

18,2

24,5

43,1

5%

5%

4%

11,4

17,5

24,6

SC 1, SC 3, SC 4, SC 5,SC 9
SC 1, SC 3, SC 4, SC 6,
SC 9
SC 1, SC 3, SC 5, SC 7,SC 9
SC 1, SC 3, SC 6, SC 9

21%
27%
8%
4%
100%

17%
25%
6%
14%
100%

15%
23%
6%
16%
100%

47,9
61,6
18,2
9,1
228,0

59,5
87,5
21,0
49,0
350,0

92,25
141,4
36,9
98,4
615,0

SC 1, SC 3, SC 6, SC 9
(SC 1, SC 3, SC 9)(SC 1, SC 3, SC 9)(SC 1, SC 3, SC 9)

2 Categorization into segments and world market data taken from Source: Photonik-Branchenreport 2013,

published by: SPECTARIS – Deutscher Industrieverband für optische, medizinische und mechatronische
Technologien e.V., Werderscher Markt 15, 10117 Berlin; Verband Deutscher Maschinen- undAnlagenbau e.V. (VDMA), Lyoner Straße 18, 60528 Frankfurt am Main; ZVEI – Zentralverband
Elektrotechnik- und Elektronikindustrie e.V., Lyoner Str. 9, 60528 Frankfurt am Main; Bundesministerium
für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), Referat Photonik, Optische Technologien, 11055 Berlin..
3 Source: Optech Consulting 2013.

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Page 5SC 1 Fundamental standards
Subcommittee SC 1 covers the standardization of terminology, requirements and test methods which apply
to the whole field of ISO/TC 172, such as drawing specifications, general optical test methods, environmental test methods as well as data transfer and codification.
Actually, optical systems consist more and more of special components such as aspherical, cylindrical andso-called free-form surfaces as well as diffractive surfaces used for different applications. Therefore, newrequirements arise for characterization, drawing notation and specification (for product and quality
properties). In addition new metrology processes are required which have to be standardized.
SC1 covers all segments of the photonics market directly or indirectly. Optics drawing notations,environment specifications and their associated test methods are used in the production of nearly all opticalproducts world-wide.

SC 3 Optical materials and components
Subcommittee SC 3 covers the standardization of terminology, requirements and test methods for opticalmaterials and components. Those include optical glasses and infrared materials, and coatings.
SC 3 covers all segments of the photonics market directly or indirectly. Optical materials and components
are used in products such as lenses, optical windows, mirrors, etc. Optical materials have been improved inperformance, along with advances in miniaturization and high precision of optical systems. Optical glasses
with especially high refractive index or with abnormal dispersion have developed in recent years. The needs
for infrared materials are increasing because of applications such as security cameras and automotive
cameras. Contributions to the market are to develop International Standards which ensure the opticalmaterials and components are safe, reliable and of good quality.

SC 4 Telescopic systems
SC 4 covers the standardization of terminology, requirements and test methods for optical systems used for
direct viewing of distant objects.
This includes monocular and binocular telescopic systems supported by hand or tripod, telescopic sightsthat are mounted on firearms and amateur astronomical telescopes. Telescopic systems containing integral
light sources, displays and electronic detectors/sensors, including amplifying detectors, image sensors andmicroprocessor control of these systems are included as well. Components and accessory devices usedwith these telescopic systems, such as eyepieces, tripods and light shields, as well as their interfaces arealso included.
SC 4 activities include the standardization of terms and definitions pertaining to these optical systems andtest methods to assess their optical performance (including user comfort and ergonomics) as well as theirperformance under varying environmental conditions.
Excluded are video cameras used for recording distant objects and surveying instruments.

SC 5 Microscopes and endoscopes
The products include light and operating microscopes, and flexible and rigid endoscopes and endotherapy
devices.
One of the important areas for light microscopes are confocal microscopes, and other methodologies relying
on opto-digital computational techniques which can exceed the diffraction limit such as super resolution.

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The trend for the next years is in automation. This requires software to monitor the feedback and control the
microscopes component systems and interfaces used to improve the quantitative data captured and it’sreproducibility. These concepts and the need for increasing image quality assessment will need to beconsidered during the revision of existing or the creation of new standards.
For the field of endoscopes (rigid as well a flexible including endotherapy devices) but for microscopes used
as medical devices standardization gains important relevance due to new and/or increased regulatory
requirements. These new directions in standards will be the driving force for improved instrument precisionand performance.
The importance of automated systems for realtime imaging control, manipulation and /or navigation used in
combination with microscopes and endoscopes like automated microscopy inspections and roboticallyassisted surgery will increase during the next years. Further, during the last years artificial intelligence (AI)and machine-learning application made rapid developments which have an impact on image quality and processing. This may be reflected within the standards as well as the trend for new video-techniques,combining 3D and virtual reality with conventional and sophisticated methods in imaging to create new waysof viewing the world.

SC 6 Geodetic and surveying instruments
Products in this area include total stations, laser trackers, laser scanners, levels, construction lasers, handheld distance meters, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), monitoring systems, mining solutions,
machine control systems and airborne sensors.SC 6 supports the world-wide Surveying and Mapping
industry, which performs e.g. cadastral, cartographic, topographic and geodetic services, as well as theConstruction industry which deals with building construction, heavy and civil engineering construction
projects. Especially the construction industry shows a stable growth. All technologies in this area seem togrow likewise. If there are differences then there might be a sligthly technology trend for laser scanners,
machine control systems and GNSS and UAVs.

SC 7 Ophthalmic optics and instruments 4
The market of ophthalmicoptics and instruments is categorized into diagnostic and monitoring devices,
surgical devices, and vision care products such as prescription lenses and contact lenses.
The growth of this market is largely driven by technological advancements in the ophthalmology devices andthe increased need of prescription lenses/contact lenses. The market witnessed an increase due to a global
increase in the aging population and the myopia epidemic in Asia. The globally more and more common
reimbursement practice of big insurance companies and the increasing online purchase of Ophthalmic
optics and instruments is relevant to the ophthalmology devices market to a certain extent, as key decisionsof treatments and eyecares more and more move away from Eye Care professionals to insurancecompanies and/or end consumer and could bypass industry and the belonging stnadards experts.
North America accounted for the largest share in the global market followed by Europe, APAC, and RoW.
However, the developed regions like North America and Europe are expected to grow at a slower paceduring the forecast period due the saturation in these markets. The Asian region on the other hand isanticipated to grow at a faster pace due to the changing lifestyles and rising per capita incomes boosting thedemand for ophthalmology devices in this region.

SC 9 Laser and electro-optical systems
Many different products fall in this category including lasers, surgical equipment used with lasers in theoperating room, optical components such as lenses and mirrors, microlens arrays and diffractive optics.

4 Business environment description in this section taken from: marketsandmarkets.com, March 2014.

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Lasers find non-military applications in medicine, industry, information technology and elsewhere. Althoughliquid lasers (dye lasers in particular) have been significant in the past, today’s lasers are almost always
based on either solid-state or gaseous media. Within the - category, there are several subdivisions. Although
semiconductor lasers are also solid-state devices, they are considered to be a category of their own, and notjust a subcategory of “solid-state” lasers. Fiber lasers are often treated similarly. In this narrow sense, “solidstate” lasers are only those based on bulk, non-semiconductor solid materials.
For high power lasers within the last 20 years there has been a transition from gas lasers, mainly CO2Lasers, to solid-state lasers. These are mainly semiconductor laser pumped bulk solid-state lasers and fiber
lasers. More recently also direct diode lasers which use neither additional fiber nor other bulk solid statelaser material but supply laser radiation of sufficient brightness directly from semiconductor laser sources
are being used. Currently fiber lasers are the most widely used high power laser concept.
Because lasers find such a broad variety of applications, it is important that the parameters of laser
performance be carefully standardized. SC 9 has created and maintains standards for all these parameters,
including beam quality (beam divergence and diameter), power, energy and temporal characteristics,
polarization, positional stability, spectral characteristics, and lifetime.
Lasers have many advantages over conventional surgical instruments and are widely utilized in operatingrooms throughout the world. But lasers create a fire hazard in the operating room, and patients die every
year from accidental, laser-induced fires. To reduce this hazard, SC 9 creates and maintains standards formeasuring the laser-induced flammability of drapes, tracheal tubes and medical beam delivery systems
used in conjunction with laser surgery.
The optical components used with a laser, and especially those inside the laser, are crucial to the laser’s
performance. SC 9 creates and maintains standards for these components, which include mirrors, lenses,
polarizers, windows as well as active components like modulators and nonlinear crystals. These standards
define measurement techniques for scattering, absorptance, specular reflection and transmission, andoptically induced damage.

3

BENEFITS EXPECTED FROM THE WORK OF THE ISO/TC

International Standards serve as the preferred basis of agreements and contracts in bi- or multilateralbusiness relationships throughout the world and are therefore of particular importance for an expanding
global market. Particularly for small and medium enterprises, it is important that reliable standards areavailable. Clear characterisation facilitates the negotiations with the customers, allows proper calculation ofsystems or parts of them or obviates disputes with the customers.
Manufacturers and users of optical products need clear and uniform terminology and test methods as well
as standards to handle safety issues properly. From legal and health protective aspects some of thestandards help the manufacturer to show conformity with relevant legal requirements or the requirements ofother horizontal normative documents (e.g. IEC 60601).
Standardisation is an enormous opportunity for legal deregulation. Industry, in cooperation with the otherconcerned parties, sets its own rules by means of voluntary standardisation (‘self-regulation’) and reducessuch the need for legal regulations. The European ‘New Approach’, in which essential requirements that arelaid down by the European Union (EU) Council in EU directives are complemented by detailed ‘harmonised
standards’ that have been developed under a mandate of the EU commission, is a prominent example forsuch ‘task-sharing’ between industry and government. The work items of sub-committees SC 7 Ophthalmic
optics and instruments and SC 9 Electro-optical systems are as far as possible treated in parallel with thecorresponding committees of the European Committtee for Standardization, CEN.
Systemic aspects are becoming more and more relevant. The modular design of systems is supported byproper interface standards.

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Page 8In addition the standards on minimum requirements and test methods for product characteristics are very
helpful for quality assurance purposes. They help establishing quality management systems and support
benchmarking.
Standards on performance and performance safety and performance testing support the confidence of theconsumers in the product of this market section.
Even if all market partners benefit from the standardisation efforts, the recognition of the standards differsfrom field to field. End users of telescopic systems, for example, normally have a high recognition of productperformance standards, whereas in the ophthalmic field, standards will be appreciated by industry and the
3 Os (opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists).

4

REPRESENTATION AND PARTICIPATION IN THE ISO/TC

4.1 MembershipCountries/ISO members bodies that are P and O members of the ISO committee
4.2

Analysis of the participation

All major manufacturers and suppliers concerned are represented in ISO/TC 172. The most important groupis represented by the manufacturers. But it is desirable to get more commitment of end users as experts.
The geographically oriented main market forces (i.e. North America, Europe, Asia Pacific) are represented
by technical experts as well.

5

OBJECTIVES OF THE ISO/TC AND STRATEGIES FOR THEIR ACHIEVEMENT

5.1

Defined objectives of the ISO/TC

Elaboration of standards on requirements, terminology, interfaces and test methods in the field of optics andphotonics. This includes complete systems, devices, instruments, ophthalmic optics, optical and photonic
components, auxiliary devices and accessories, as well as materials. Optics and photonics is used in themeaning that the performance of the products under consideration is based on the generation, handling anddetection of optical radiation including signal processing.
These International Standards shall provide means for a good infrastructure of the global market for opticalsystems and devices. The market needs specification of minimum performance requirements, clear anduniform terminology and test methods as well as standards to handle safety issues properly. From legal
aspects some of these standards may help the manufacturers to show conformity with the national orregional legal requirements (e.g. with the European Directive on Medical Devices 93/42/EC). In addition thestandards on test methods are very helpful for the documentation of characterising parameters for quality
assurance purposes.
5.2

Identified strategies to achieve the ISO/TC’s defined objectives

The technical committee is structured in seven sub-committees, two of which (SC 1 and SC 3) deal withinterdisciplinary tasks of horizontal nature, whereas five sub-committees cover product specific fields. The
horizontal committees produce basic standards on optical and environmental test methods as well as basic
standards for optical drawings and optical components. The vertical sub-committees SC 4, SC 5 and SC 6
cover optical instruments. SC 7 deals with vision correction devices, ophthalmic instruments and eye
implants. SC 9 covers lasers and electro-optical devices and systems.
It is expected that there will be much change in the design of optical devices even in the areas of traditional
optical systems. Therefore new materials, surface treatments, bonding technologies, mounting technologies

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Page 9are used as well as new light sources and detectors. All sub-committees were requested to make up theirmind which standards will be needed in their field in the future. In order to satisfy the needs of the market,
the standards also must reflect the change from classical optics to modern optics and photonics.
Due to the rapidly developing nature of photonics, the TC needs to develop in some areas closer working
relationships with governments, universities and industrial research and development.
The need to transfer and/or exchange information between internal and external partners involved in design,
production and marketing of optical products yields the demand for a uniformly consistent and unambiguous
electronic description of products and processes. ISO/TC 172 has therefore been working towards
establishing an electronic Online Properties‘ Dictionary, which provides standardised data formats for the fullrange of information required for data exchange.
In order to provide efficient working structures, the sub-committees are broken down in working groups
which often structure again in project groups. The work of the TC, the SCs and WGs is conducted by holding
physical face-to-face meetings for making the basic decisions whereas the project groups work makeintense use of electronic means of communication. As a general rule, work shall be conducted bycorrespondence or using web-conferencing facilities as far as possible, in order to minimise meeting times
and costs.
A great help in fulfilling the task of TC 172 is the change in the development procedures by the full
exploitation of the enabling potential of information and communication technology. This saves a considerable amount of time and money by a better preparation of face-to-face meetings that increasingly focus
on problem-solving, prioritisation and strategic development rather than on document drafting.
As the world is changing its way of communication and visibility, it is also incumbent upon ISO TC172 toadapt to the new ways of sharing knowledge. In the future, TC172 will strive to be more visible throughsocial media platforms like LinkedIn to find new experts, create awareness on the standardization process,publish new projects and enable interested parties to get involved. All SCs have the opportunity to present
themselves and show their work.
In order to minimise the duplication of effort and to conserve scarce personal and financial resources, theTC itself as well as its sub-committees cultivate cooperation and internal and external liaisons with other ISO
and IEC committees as well as international organisations. Due to the growing importance of electro-opticalaspects as well as the rapidly increasing new communication modalities like the internet, ISO and IEC
will have more and more areas with overlapping topics that require meaningful and cooperative
collaboration. A close link with the relevant IEC committees is of great importance in order to avoid
conflicting standards.
Two sub-committees of ISO/TC 172 enjoy close working relationships with their European counterparts:
SC 7 with CEN/TC 170 Ophthalmic Optics and SC 9 with CEN/TC 123 Lasers and photonics. As far as
possible the Vienna Agreement (ISO lead) is applied for their work items.

6

FACTORS AFFECTING COMPLETION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ISO/TC
WORK PROGRAMMEThe range of applications of this interdisciplinary technology is such wide that none of the affected industries
identifies themselves in a total with this area. In particular, the cooperation of the SMEs is - due to financial
problems - sometimes not satisfactory. This is particularly true for the work of SC 1 on environmental test
methods as well as for the work of SC 5 on endoscopes. Sometimes it is difficult to find the minimum
required actively participating members which are stipulated by the ISO Directives for acceptance of newwork.
Not only the applications are numerous, there exist also a variety of types of optical instruments which covera broad band of wavelengths from the UV to the infrared.

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Validation of a test method is dependent upon funding being available to undertake the necessary pre- andco-normative research. The early start of standardisation accompanying R & D can sometimes lead tocompletely new aspects (as could be seen in the development of ISO 11146) which might retard thecompletion of the standard, but helps industry and research anyhow to a better understanding of thetechnology and the basic physics.
In some sub-committees, e.g. SC 5 the expertise of most of the present experts was primarily focused onclassical optics. The initiated inclusion of work items directed to the field of “advanced” modern optics andphotonics needs to find the specific expertise required for the elaboration of those projects. In addition, more
application know how should be included.
Another limiting factor is that the technical content of the standards is produced by the experts from industry
and, more often than not, the work in their companies takes priority over the commitment that the expert
might undertake to fulfil their role in the standards committee. However, participation in the voluntarystandardisation system means that once an expert is part of the system, he or she is no longer a volunteer.
He or she has been sent to the committee by the management and has to fulfil his or her commitments.
This, however, needs the attentive and continuous consideration of the management.
Looking at the experts involved, the age structure also needs to be taken into account. TC 172 also needs
engage more young people for more seamless preparation for the upcoming decade. This will also be
addressed with the new marketing activities of TC172.

7

STRUCTURE, CURRENT PROJECTS AND PUBLICATIONS OF THE ISO/TC

This section gives an overview of the ISO/TC’s structure, scope, projects and publications. All of thisinformation is updated regularly and is available on ISO’s website, ISO Online.
The link below is to the TC’s page on ISO’s website:
ISO TC 172 on ISO Online
Click on the tabs and links on this page to find the following information:• About (Secretariat, Secretary, Chair, Date of creation, Scope, etc.)• Contact details• Structure (Subcommittees and working groups)• Liaisons• Meetings• Tools• Work programme (published standards and standards under development)

Reference information

General information on the principles of ISO's technical work2023-TC_172_Draft_prelim_Business_Plan_clean.doc