Meet young professionals in European Standardization: Maria Machaj, from Slovakia

On the occasion of the European Year of Skills, which continues in 2024, we are conducting a special interview campaign: through a series of interviews with young standardization professionals and experts, we explore the interaction between innovation, skills and standardization in some of the most relevant sectors for Europe’s long-term competitiveness.

For the fifth episode in this year’s series of interviews, we get to know Maria Machaj, a young expert who works at the Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic and is a member of the Slovak national technical committee TK 28 on Air quality. With Maria we discussed the added value young professionals can bring to standardization, and how standards can help address current challenges, among other topics.

1. Please, present yourself.

Hello everyone. My name is Maria Machaj. I work at the Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic. I have been working here for about five years in the Air Protection Department. I studied at the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (STU), Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology.

My tasks include, among other topics, the monitoring of emissions and associated Decree no. 249/2023 on monitoring emissions from stationary sources of air pollution and air quality in their surroundings.

2. Could you explain how you are involved in standardization, and what its value for your field of expertise is?

I am a member of the Slovak national technical committee TK 28 on Air quality.

The Committee participates in the creation of Slovak standards, in providing technical standardization information, and in other activities related to standardization.

The value of standardization in my field of expertise is that, first of all, I have learned terminology as I draw up the opposing opinions to the translations of standards in the Slovak language.

I see a closer relationship between the legal environment and the link to standards, and for my work, it is necessary to have an overview of the technical background to which the legislation refers. I have also built connections with experts dealing with the air quality measurement from universities, inspection bodies, industry, and other regulators.

3. Why and how did you become interested in standardization?

I didn’t gradually become interested in standardization, rather, I was “thrown into the deep end of the water ”.

When I joined the ministry, I took over the agenda from my predecessor, who was a long-time member and chairman of the technical committee. So, to take full responsibility for my new role, I had to familiarize myself with the field of standardization and standards that deal with the monitoring of emissions into the air. However, now I understand that it is necessary to participate in standardization.

4. You participated in the Slovakian Young Professionals programme. What did you learn from that experience?

It is hard to say what exactly I learned because, as I mentioned, I had to learn a lot of things myself before the Slovak YPP was created. However, thanks to the Young Professionals Programme, I was able to organize the knowledge I acquired and gain a better understanding of the entire process of standard making and especially the efforts behind it.

During the YP camp, we also attended several lectures and training sessions focused on soft skills. We quickly practiced how a standard is prepared and experienced the difficulty of reaching consensus, even on a simple matter. This underscored the importance of collaboration and consensus in the standardization process.

For me personally, it was a valuable experience that provided the opportunity to improve my communication and presentation skills, which have been beneficial in my professional work as well.

5. 2024 continues as the European Year of Skills. What skills can young professionals learn from participating in standardization? And, in turn, what new, innovative skills can they bring to standardization work?

It might sound a bit unexpected, but I believe that by engaging in the creation of standards and standardization, young professionals can learn the importance of effective communication, the correct and clear formulation of requests and comments, and strong argumentation skills. They can learn how standards are written and understand their specific language and layout and when and how to participate in commenting.

Regarding what young professionals can contribute to standardization, they can bring fresh perspectives to areas not currently covered by standards. They offer a new outlook on various issues and are often more skillful at integrating modern technologies. This can lead to the simplification of processes, primarily due to their familiarity with current technological advancements. Respect the opinion of others and model the situation better in order to reach consensus.

6. Do you expect to be working with standards in the future? Do you think standards will give a boost to your future career?

I hope so. My knowledge about standards and standardization and also the opportunity to be part of the Slovak delegation at the CEN and CENELEC Annual Meeting in Belgrade in 2023 give a boost to my future career (it has already strengthened my current one).

7. What advice would you like to tell your fellow young professionals to invite them into the world of standardization?

My advice is to embrace new opportunities and not to be discouraged by common misconceptions about standards and how they are created. Personally, attending the general assembly of CEN and CENELEC in Belgrade was a key experience. It provided me with the chance to connect with professionals from various countries and organizations involved in standardization.

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to meet these standard makers and discover that they are pleasant individuals. They all share a common goal: to achieve demonstrable and repeatable outcomes through standards. Engaging with this community has shown me that standardization is a collaborative and rewarding field.

8. Do you think standardization has a role to play in addressing big challenges, such as the digital transition or climate change?

I believe that standardization can at least simplify the work of solving big challenges.

From my experience in air protection, I have seen how the European Commission sets requirements, emission limits, and thresholds through various directives. However, the implementation details are often left to individual Member States, leading to variations, and making it difficult to compare results across countries.

By collaborating with the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), we can create comprehensive standards that provide clear guidelines applicable across all Member States. This ensures that everyone is working from the same playbook, which forms the basis for comparable and repeatable results. Applying a unified standard across Europe allows us to demonstrate compliance with requirements and emission limits.

This article is part of our special series dedicated to the European Year of Skills: through a series of articles and interviews with standardization professionals, experts and business leaders coming from a variety of backgrounds, we will explore the interaction between innovation, skills and standardization in some of the most relevant sectors for Europe’s long-term competitiveness. You can read the other articles related to the campaign here