2022 is the European Year of Youth. To celebrate this occasion, CEN and CENELEC are conducting a campaign, presenting a regular series of interviews with young professionals active in European standardization. In the third episode of the series, we get to know Alexandre Colombier, from France.
1. Please, present yourself. To what extent are you involved in standardization?
Hello! I am Alexandre Colombier, 25 years old. I love technological challenges in many fields: energy, mobility, industry, digital…
I am an engineer and I have been working at AFNOR, the French national standardization body, for a bit more than a year. At AFNOR, I am involved in standardization on many levels:
- At the European level, I act as secretary for CEN/TC 296, and WG2 and WG 5 of CEN/TC 366.
- At the national level, I am the coordinator of national expertise on topics such as digital, energy, mobility and defence.
- At the international level, I represent the French interests in different committees (such as the EDSTAR database or ISO/TC 184…).
2. Why and how did you become interested in standardization?
I have a curriculum in industrial engineering and quality management. As such, I used to see standardization from the user point of view . However, I am interested in many technological fields and wanted to have a global understanding: after all, standards and procedures are key in all sectors and give a referential for safer products all across the board. Furthermore, I believe it is important to join efforts to define the most efficient ways of working in a connected world. I found my way when joining AFNOR.
3. Do you think standardization provides some added value for your career development?
Working in standardization offers a huge opportunity to meet many actors from industry, governments, agencies, associations, on both national and international grounds. It allows you to gain expertise in various domains of interest and get to know those involved on a privileged basis.
4. Have you had a role model or mentor in standardization? What is the best advice they gave you?
I entered the standardization world thanks to the advice of a former university professor, himself involved in ISO and CEN committees. His advice was to engage fully in standardization to develop many interpersonal and technical skills and meet key contacts in the industry.
5. Why should there be more young people in standardization?
It is important to include younger people into standardization, because it needs to constantly evolve and be open to the market in order to continue being relevant and propose new deliverables more suitable to a digital world.
In this context, we, the younger generation, are already living in and used to a fully digital world. Thanks to this expertise and awareness, I am sure young people would be able to bring fresh and innovative ideas to the world of standardization.
You can follow the rest of the campaign here and also read the other interviews to our Young Professionals in Standardization.
Read the previous episodes of the series:
Episode 3, with Kristin Fagerli
Join the conversation through the hashtag #EuropeanYearOfYouth
