Orlando, Fla., will be the location of a coordinated program being organized by ASTM International in cooperation with the Federal Agency on Technical Regulating and Metrology (GOST-R) and the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. The program, being co-sponsored by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE International), the American Petroleum Institute (API International) and ASTM International,
will be held during the week of May 5, 2008, at the Omni Orlando Resort Hotel.
ASTM International has a longstanding relationship with GOST, highlighted by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in April 2007. The agreement allows the federal agency to adopt or use ASTM standards as the basis for new GOST standards. To date, more than 200 ASTM International standards have been selected for translation and use by Russian industry. The MOU agreement also promotes greater Russian participation in ASTM technical committees and technical training programs.
Three separate divisions of ASTM, to include global cooperation, publications and marketing, and technical committee operations, will lead the event in conjunction with industry experts and staff from each of the co-sponsors. Petroleum, steel, automotive and aerospace will be industry sectors of focus. Participants will share information about current standards for the various sectors, the stakeholders involved in their development, and the global use of the standards. Training and conformity assessment opportunities for the related industries will also be presented.
In addition to attendees from GOST, the Russian delegation will include members of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, which consists of representatives of unions, industrial associations, corporations and academic institutions. Russian industry representatives are being drawn from the oil, natural gas and chemical industry, metallurgical enterprises and construction companies. The delegates are looking forward to an opportunity to learn about standards in their sectors and to establish contacts that can be utilized in the future to advance their business objectives.
The May coordinated program is the second of four events being planned for this year, with the first scheduled for Beijing, China, on April 16, 2008, on the topic of green construction. Other coordinated programs in the planning stages include an event in South America in September and one in the Middle East in November.
Attendance by representatives from U.S. industry is encouraged. For detailed information on the Orlando event or more information on ASTM coordinated programs, contact Jim Olshefsky, ASTM International (phone: +1 610-832-9714; fax: +1 610-834-7084; jolshefs@astm.org).
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