INSTITUTION PROFILE / FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
The maker of international standards on how to measure and name materials. Its standards carry no legal force
ISO is an independent, non-governmental organisation whose members are national standards bodies. It neither makes materials nor regulates them. For functional materials, its role is to turn test methods, terminology and specifications into standards by international agreement. Standards are voluntary, and they become binding in a country only when that country’s law cites them. This profile looks at one question only: how much influence ISO really has over functional materials.
What this article covers
- ISO in 30 seconds
- What kind of body it is: the four types of influence
- What it does for functional materials
- How far its influence reaches (powers and geography)
- Organisations connected to ISO’s work
- Outlook
- Glossary, references and claim-to-source audit
1. ISO in 30 seconds
FULL NAMEInternational Organization for Standardization“ISO” is not an acronym; it comes from the Greek word for “equal”
COUNTRY / REGIONInternational (seat in Geneva)The Central Secretariat is in Vernier, Geneva, Switzerland
TYPE OF BODYIndependent non-governmental organisationMembers are national standards bodies, one per country
FOUNDED1947Delegates met in London in 1946, and ISO came into being the following year
MEMBERS177Each country’s leading standards body. We could not find a staff headcount
SCALE26,523 standards and other deliverables844 technical committees and subcommittees. 2025 revenue was CHF 49.34 million
ROLE IN FUNCTIONAL MATERIALSStandards for test methods, terminology and specificationsTechnical committees on fine ceramics, nanotechnologies, rare earth, plastics and coatings
WHO IT REACHESCountries and companies that adopt the standardsStandards are voluntary. They bind where a law cites them
The one thing to grasp first
An ISO standard is not a rule you must obey; it is an agreed way of measuring or specifying something. ISO itself says its standards are voluntary and do not replace national laws, and that national law takes precedence Sourced. It also says that countries may adopt its standards as regulations or refer to them in legislation Sourced. So an ISO standard binds only where someone cites it, and only within that scope. In functional materials, if a manufacturer’s stated value says “per ISO …”, it matters because values measured the same way can be compared.
2. What kind of body it is: the four types of influence
Unlike the companies in this series, the institutions that appear in functional-materials coverage do not make materials themselves. What separates them is the route by which they influence the industry, and that gives four types.
3. What it does for functional materials
ISO’s work on functional materials is done by technical committees (TCs) organised by type of material. Here are five TCs relevant to functional materials whose scope we checked on their official pages Sourced.
| Technical committee | Secretariat and founding | Scope (summary of the official page) | Link to our explainers (our reading) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISO/TC 206 Fine ceramics | JISC (Japan), seated at the Japan Fine Ceramics Association. Created in 1992 | Standardisation of fine ceramics (powders, monoliths, coatings, composites) intended for specific mechanical, thermal, chemical, electrical, magnetic or optical functions. Working groups include photocatalysis, electrical and optical applications, coatings and joining. 162 published standards (including updates) | Relevant to evaluating functional ceramics, such as photocatalysis and electrical and optical uses |
| ISO/TC 229 Nanotechnologies | BSI (United Kingdom). Created in 2005 | Standardisation of matter at the nanoscale (typically below 100 nm) and of materials that exploit nanoscale properties. Covers terminology, metrology and reference materials, test methods, modelling, and health, safety and environmental practices | Relates to terminology and measurement for nanomaterials such as MXene, graphene and carbon nanotubes |
| ISO/TC 298 Rare earth | SAC (China). Created in 2015 | Standardisation from rare earth mining to conversion into oxides, salts, metals and master alloys. Working groups cover recycling, traceability, packaging and labelling, testing and analysis, product specification and sustainability | Relates to the specification and traceability of raw materials for permanent magnets |
| ISO/TC 61 Plastics | SAC (China). Created in 1947 | Nomenclature, test methods and specifications for plastics, including adhesives, sealing, joining and welding. Rubber is excluded. 767 published standards (including updates) | Relates to evaluating polymers, elastomers and resins for 3D printing |
| ISO/TC 107 Metallic and other inorganic coatings | KATS (Republic of Korea). Created in 1962 | Characteristics of protective and decorative metallic and inorganic coatings applied by electrolysis, fusion, vacuum, chemical or mechanical means; their test and inspection methods; and substrate preparation | Relates to evaluating nanocoatings, thin films and barrier properties |
A materials engineer’s view: a standard aligns conditions; it does not guarantee performance
What an ISO standard fixes is which specimen is measured, under what conditions and how. If a manufacturer’s stated value carries a standard’s number, values can be compared on the same method, but whether the value holds in your application is a separate question. TC 206 defines fine ceramics as a highly engineered, predominantly non-metallic, inorganic material with specific functional attributes. The way of reading evaluation data in our explainer “Functional Materials: Classification and How to Read Evaluation Data” rests on layers of such standards. Standards for electrical and electronic technology belong to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and ISO covers the rest (JISC’s explanation) Sourced.
4. How far its influence reaches (powers and geography)
| Aspect | What ISO has | What it does not have |
|---|---|---|
| Powers | Running a system in which experts nominated by members agree on and publish standards. Setting up technical committees, appointing chairs and monitoring progress (the Technical Management Board). Income from selling standards keeps its work independent | Legal force or enforcement: standards are voluntary and national law prevails. The power to decide when a standard is made (ISO responds to requests from industry and others) |
| Geography | Members in 177 countries (one per country). More than three quarters of members are from developing countries. Members can sell and adopt the standards in their countries | The power to make anyone use a standard. Whether to cite it in regulation is each country’s decision |
| Time horizon | Developing a standard usually takes about three years from first proposal to publication | Speed in responding to fast-moving markets |
| Scale | 26,523 standards and other deliverables; 844 technical committees and subcommittees; 2025 revenue of CHF 49.34 million (members’ fees CHF 22.31 million, royalties on standards sold by members CHF 14.84 million, direct sales CHF 7.62 million) | No figures are published for functional materials alone. We could not find a staff headcount |
How to read the numbers
The 26,523 deliverables and 844 committees are totals across every field, not figures for functional materials Sourced. The “published standards” counts on TC pages include updated editions, and they are not the number of standards that can be used directly to measure a material. How many manufacturers actually use a given standard in their stated values is something we cannot read from ISO’s materials Not yet confirmed.
5. Organisations connected to ISO’s work
This section shows only the path from a standard’s creation to its use, as stated in primary sources. We could not confirm, from ISO materials, a direct relationship with any company profiled in this series.
| Organisation | Role (as stated in primary sources) | Link to this series |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC) | A council set up within the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Under the Industrial Standardization Act, it deliberates on establishing and revising JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards). It is Japan’s sole member of ISO and of the IEC, and holds the secretariat of ISO/TC 206 | See our METI profile. JISC is a council, not a ministry |
| National member bodies | ANSI (United States), DIN (Germany), SAC (China) and others. One member per country; they vote on standards and sell and adopt them at home | SAC holds the secretariats of ISO/TC 298 and TC 61, BSI that of TC 229, and KATS that of TC 107 |
| International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) | Handles international standards for electrical and electronic technology; ISO handles the rest (JISC’s explanation) | See our IEC profile. IEC standards are also relevant to magnetic materials |
| European Commission | Under the EU Critical Raw Materials Act, the Commission asks the European standardisation organisations, not ISO, to draft standards that support the regulation (Article 44(6)) | See our European Commission profile. We found no provision saying that EU rules directly cite ISO standards |
| ASTM International | The U.S. member of ISO is ANSI, and ASTM International does not appear in ISO’s member list. ASTM is a separate standards-maker (ASTM’s website says AI use is prohibited, so we did not consult it) | The difference from ASTM is that ISO is an international body with one member per country. We do not compare individual standards here |
6. Outlook
| What can be read from the sources | Primary evidence | Type |
|---|---|---|
| ISO’s 2025 revenue was CHF 49.34 million, about the same as the year before (CHF 49.87 million), and the result was positive. Income tied to selling standards (members’ royalties of CHF 14.84 million plus direct sales of CHF 7.62 million, CHF 22.46 million in total) is about 45% of revenue (our calculation) | ISO’s 2025 annual review (revenue, expenditure and result) | Sourced |
| The TC 298 (Rare earth) page shows standards under development, but we could not find when they will be published. We did not check which of them bear on evaluating functional materials | The official page of ISO/TC 298 | Not yet confirmed |
| Because the member that holds a secretariat (Japan for TC 206; China for TC 298 and TC 61) has its bodies at the centre of running the meetings, Japanese practice is likely to be reflected in test methods for fine ceramics, and Chinese practice in rare earth specifications | The secretariat entries on each TC’s official page. We did not check how much this affects actual drafts | Inference |
| The EU’s move to ask European standardisation organisations for standards (Article 44(6)) may run in parallel with ISO’s standard-making. We could not confirm whether the two are coordinated | Regulation (EU) 2024/1252, Article 44(6). We found no coordination statement in ISO’s materials | Inference |
7. Glossary
- Member body
- The leading national standards body that joins ISO. One per country; it votes on standards and sells and adopts them at home.
- Technical committee (TC)
- A committee of experts that writes standards in a specific field, numbered like ISO/TC 206 (Fine ceramics).
- P-member and O-member
- P-members take an active part in a committee and vote; O-members observe and comment.
- JISC
- The Japanese Industrial Standards Committee, a council within the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry that deliberates on JIS and serves as Japan’s member of ISO and the IEC.
- JIS
- Japanese Industrial Standards, established after deliberation by JISC.
- Voluntary standard
- A standard that no law requires you to follow. If a law or contract cites it, following it becomes necessary within that scope.
8. References
- ISO About ISO (the 1946-47 founding, 26,523 deliverables, 177 members, 844 technical committees and subcommittees, location of the seat). https://www.iso.org/about-us.html
- ISO Members (177 national standards bodies, one per country, three membership categories). https://www.iso.org/members.html
- ISO Structure and governance (an independent non-governmental organisation; General Assembly, Council, Central Secretariat). https://www.iso.org/structure.html
- ISO Who develops standards (P-members and O-members, the Technical Management Board, more than three quarters of members from developing countries). https://www.iso.org/who-develops-standards.html
- ISO Developing standards (usually about three years to publish; the principle of responding to requests from industry and others). https://www.iso.org/developing-standards.html
- ISO Media kit (standards are voluntary; ISO does not regulate or legislate). https://www.iso.org/media-kit.html
- ISO Foreword – Supplementary information (standards are voluntary and national law prevails). https://www.iso.org/foreword-supplementary-information.html
- ISO 2025 in review (2025 revenue, expenditure and result). https://www.iso.org/annual-report/2025
- ISO ISO/TC 206 Fine ceramics (secretariat, founding, scope, working groups, published standards). https://www.iso.org/committee/54756.html
- ISO ISO/TC 229 Nanotechnologies (secretariat, founding, scope). https://www.iso.org/committee/381983.html
- ISO ISO/TC 298 Rare earth (secretariat, founding, scope, working groups). https://www.iso.org/committee/5902483.html
- ISO ISO/TC 61 Plastics (secretariat, founding, scope, published standards). https://www.iso.org/committee/49256.html
- ISO ISO/TC 107 Metallic and other inorganic coatings (secretariat, founding, scope). https://www.iso.org/committee/51358.html
- Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC) About JISC, in Japanese (a council within the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; the Industrial Standardization Act; Japan’s sole member of ISO and the IEC). https://www.jisc.go.jp/jisc/index.html
- Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC) International standardization (ISO/IEC), in Japanese (the division of work between ISO and the IEC). https://www.jisc.go.jp/international/index.html
- EUR-Lex Regulation (EU) 2024/1252, Article 44(6) (the request to European standardisation organisations to draft standards). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1252/oj/eng
9. Claim-to-source audit
| Claim in the article | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ISO’s full name, its 1946-47 founding, 26,523 deliverables, 177 members, 844 technical committees and subcommittees, and the seat | Sourced | Reference 1 https://www.iso.org/about-us.html |
| One member per country; the three member categories; the member list (JISC for Japan, ANSI for the United States, SAC for China, DIN for Germany); ASTM International not in the list | Sourced | Reference 2 https://www.iso.org/members.html |
| ISO is an independent non-governmental organisation; its governance structure | Sourced | Reference 3 https://www.iso.org/structure.html |
| P-members and O-members; the Technical Management Board’s tasks; more than three quarters of members from developing countries | Sourced | Reference 4 https://www.iso.org/who-develops-standards.html |
| How standards are developed (responding to requests, about three years to publish, income from selling standards keeps it independent) | Sourced | Reference 5 https://www.iso.org/developing-standards.html Reference 1 https://www.iso.org/about-us.html |
| Standards are voluntary; ISO does not regulate or legislate; countries may adopt them as regulations or cite them in legislation | Sourced | Reference 6 https://www.iso.org/media-kit.html |
| Standards are voluntary and national law prevails | Sourced | Reference 7 https://www.iso.org/foreword-supplementary-information.html |
| 2025 revenue of CHF 49.34 million (fees 22.31, royalties 14.84, direct sales 7.62), the 2024 figure of CHF 49.87 million and the result | Sourced | Reference 8 https://www.iso.org/annual-report/2025 |
| ISO/TC 206: secretariat (JISC, at the Japan Fine Ceramics Association), 1992, scope, working groups, 162 published standards | Sourced | Reference 9 https://www.iso.org/committee/54756.html |
| ISO/TC 229: secretariat (BSI), 2005, scope | Sourced | Reference 10 https://www.iso.org/committee/381983.html |
| ISO/TC 298: secretariat (SAC, China), 2015, scope, working groups | Sourced | Reference 11 https://www.iso.org/committee/5902483.html |
| ISO/TC 61: secretariat (SAC, China), 1947, scope, 767 published standards | Sourced | Reference 12 https://www.iso.org/committee/49256.html |
| ISO/TC 107: secretariat (KATS), 1962, scope | Sourced | Reference 13 https://www.iso.org/committee/51358.html |
| JISC is a council within the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; it deliberates on JIS under the Industrial Standardization Act; Japan’s sole member of ISO and the IEC | Sourced | Reference 14 https://www.jisc.go.jp/jisc/index.html |
| The division of work between ISO and the IEC (electrical and electronic technology goes to the IEC) | Sourced | Reference 15 https://www.jisc.go.jp/international/index.html |
| The request to European standardisation organisations to draft standards (Article 44(6)) | Sourced | Reference 16 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1252/oj/eng |
| Income tied to selling standards as about 45% of revenue | Our calculation | Our calculation from Reference 8 (CHF 14.84 million plus CHF 7.62 million, divided by CHF 49.34 million) |
| The four-type classification and the links between each TC and our explainers | Our calculation | Our own classification and reading |
| ISO’s staff headcount; figures for functional materials alone | Not yet confirmed | Not given in References 1-8. This article does not estimate them |
| Any direct tie between ISO materials and companies profiled in this series; how particular JIS standards correspond to ISO standards | Not yet confirmed | Not found in References 1-16. This article does not infer any |
| When the standards under development in TC 298 will be published | Not yet confirmed | Not given in Reference 11. This article does not infer it |
| The two inferences in Section 6 (secretariat holders’ practice is likely to be reflected; the EU’s standardisation requests may run in parallel) | Inference | Our own interpretation of References 9, 11, 12 and 16 |
Last updated: 10 October 2026 / Troy Technical
The figures in this article come from ISO’s official site (checked on 10 October 2026), the JISC website and EUR-Lex. Passages marked “Inference” are our own interpretation of the primary sources.