ROME (ITALPRESS) – Growing numbers that reaffirm the daily recognition of accreditation and accredited certification in increasingly different fields: the 2023 Report by Accredia, the Single Italian Accreditation Body, presented today during the Assembly of Members, confirms the role of the organization towards the institutions and the market as an authoritative and independent entity, in addition to the contribution made in recent years for the growth and well-being of businesses and citizens. 15 years after its foundation in 2009, Accredia in fact it doubled the number of accreditations, reaching 2,756 at the end of 2023. The number of organizations and laboratories that have achieved accreditation has also grown, over 2,300. Furthermore, in 2023 the organization fully passed the peer assessment verification conducted by EA (European co-operation for Accreditation): Accredia was confirmed competent to issue accreditations in all areas in which the harmonized technical standards apply and this concerns of a result of particular importance, as the European Multilateral Agreements enjoy international recognition. In 2023 the innovations concerned the accreditation of bodies and laboratories in strategic sectors for the country linked, in particular, to sustainability and digital transition, such as demonstrated by the certifications under accreditation in the cybersecurity field, a sector in which the number of certified company sites has reached over 6,000 units, in addition to 6 accredited laboratories for carrying out vulnerability assessments and around 700 people certified in the data protection sector. How the accreditation of certifications is a valid support for the development of social policies is demonstrated by the rapid development of management systems for gender equality, according to UNI/PdR 125:2022, which, despite being relatively young compared to other areas, it is growing quickly and in a short time. Today there are 50 accredited bodies, but there are further requests in progress, while the number of certified Italian sites is 7,928 and that of foreign sites is 460. The certificates issued under accreditation allow companies to access the benefits provided by law. To promote the adoption of the tool, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) has activated various initiatives, including the allocation of funds to cover the costs of technical assistance and certification support. Development continued in the environmental sector as well of the accreditation activity according to the UNI CEI EN ISO/IEC 17029 standard of the bodies for verification and validation of sustainability assertions, to combat greenwashing and ethics washing. Italy is one of the leading countries at an international level both in terms of number of bodies (16) and in terms of activities relating to the ISO 14065 standard (verification and validation of environmental claims). Schemes regarding environmental claims are constantly growing thanks to the recognition of authorities and companies as tools to help protect the environment. Furthermore, they also allow consumers to make more informed and concrete choices for the fight against climate change. Legislative Decree 18/2023 on water intended for human consumption has recognized the role of the accreditation of testing laboratories by establishing that the tests carried out under accreditation guarantee the safety and effectiveness of the periodic control activity of the quality of drinking water carried out by the managers of the integrated water service. In general, laboratories are an area which, also in 2023, has seen significant growth as in the case of calibration laboratories; the certificates issued by the latter, in fact, went from 92,421 in 2010 to 225,516 in 2023, more than double in ten years. In the healthcare sector, the accreditation of laboratories that carry out medical analyzes is also an area that is developing a lot, reaching 25 accredited structures including 6 large healthcare companies, a University and a Scientific Hospital and Treatment Institute (IRCCS ). This number has grown especially in recent post-pandemic years and especially in the context of molecular diagnostic tests aimed at personalized medicine. A significant figure, if we consider that almost 80% of diagnoses are based on the results produced by medical laboratories, and which confirms Accredia’s verification as a strategic tool to guarantee the health of patients. The consolidation of the Biobanking scheme, developed together with the Istituto Superiore di Sanità and in synergy with the Ministry of Health. Biobanks, in fact, play an essential role in the development of biotechnology and academic and industrial research, guaranteeing the correct management of biological material and related data. Their activity promotes the development of new therapies and the understanding of the changes that occur in diseases and offers useful information for treatment, prevention and early diagnosis.” 2023 was an important year for Accredia due to the positive outcome of the verification of peer assessment conducted by European Accreditation. The body has been confirmed competent to issue accreditations in all areas in which the harmonized technical standards apply – says Massimo De Felice, President of Accredia (in the photo) -. With these solid foundations, we are working to provide our contribution to the country’s green and digital transition also in innovative sectors such as those for the qualification of non-financial sustainability declarations of companies or artificial intelligence systems. On AI, in particular, we have started, together with the National Inter-university Consortium for Informatics (CINI), research to reiterate the role of supporting businesses that accredited certification can have; in the autumn we will present the results”. – photo of the Accredia press office – (ITALPRESS).
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