According to Accredia (Accreditation Body appointed by the Italian Government), 2017 confirms the growth of the accredited conformity assessment sector, such as certifications, inspections, tests and calibrations. The 1.4% growth compared to 2016 (and over 40% in the period 2010-2017) has led to a total of 1,699 accredited subjects: at December 31th 2017, there were 1,168 test laboratories, 351 bodies for certifications, inspections and verifications and 180 calibration laboratories. The certification, inspection and verification bodies are 3% more than the previous year and the sectors that recorded the most significant increases are those relating to the certification of products and services and to the professional figures. Furthermore, the company sites with an under accreditation certified management system are 144,701 units. In the face of a moderate decrease in the quality management systems (UNI EN ISO 9001), there is an increase for other certifications, such as the environmental certification (UNI EN ISO 14001) and the certification for the health and safety at work (OHSAS 18001). Increases were also recorded in the field of instrument calibration: in 2017 the laboratories accredited by the Calibration Laboratories Department reached 180 units, +11% in the period 2010-2017. The importance that the market recognizes to the activities of calibration and verification of instruments, aimed at ensuring the reliability of each type of measurement, is also demonstrated by the number of calibration certificates issued by the accredited laboratories that, in 2017, exceeded 130,000 unit. “2017 also confirms the trend that sees a continuous growth of the accreditations, a sign of the widespread awareness of the benefits offered by accredited conformity assessments – said Giuseppe Rossi, President of Accredia and confirmed at the head of the body for the next three years -. Benefits both for consumers, in terms of quality and reliability of certified goods and services, and for businesses and professionals, because the accredited certification represents a competitive lever to better position themselves in an increasingly globalized market”.
