Representatives of IEC, JISC and TEPCO Visit the Institute for Standardization of Serbia

The Institute for Standardization of Serbia (ISS) hosted representatives of the Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC) and Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) on 10 September 2026, as part of a bilateral meeting dedicated to exchanging experiences and exploring opportunities to enhance international cooperation in the field of standardization.

The Japanese delegation included Dr Hiroshi Okamoto, a Member of the Board of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), President of the Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan, and Senior Technical Advisor at TEPCO Holdings, and Tatsuya Kato, Director of International Standardization at TEPCO. Kaname Matsumoto, Deputy Secretary General of the Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC), also joined the meeting online from Japan.

Representing the Institute for Standardization of Serbia were Radiša Knežević, Head of the Department for General Standardization, Marko Ristić, Head of the Division for International Cooperation, and Goran Bajić, Head of the Department for Electrotechnical Standardization.

A special part of the meeting was dedicated to the IEC initiative “Beyond Sustainable,” presented by Dr Hiroshi Okamoto, a Member of the IEC Board. The initiative emerged from the need to further develop the role of the IEC in response to the challenges posed by digitalization, electrification, artificial intelligence, and the growing interconnection of energy and information and communication technology systems.

The presented material highlights the IEC’s ambition to position itself as one of the future drivers of the development of a digital and fully electrified society, contributing to a more sustainable world beyond the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, while serving as a platform for international cooperation based on mutual trust.

In this context, particular importance is attached to smart and machine-readable standards, improving system interoperability, and connecting knowledge and experience from the fields of technology, governance, and standardization. The material presented during the visit also emphasized the importance of further strengthening cooperation between the IEC, national standards bodies, and other international organizations.

On this occasion, Dr Okamoto also presented his extensive experience in international standardization, as well as his contributions to the development of international standards in the fields of ultra-high-voltage alternating current (UHVAC), energy transition, digital transformation, and other areas of importance for the future of the electric power system.

The visit to Serbia continued at the Nikola Tesla Institute of Electrical Engineering (INT), where members of the Japanese delegation had the opportunity to learn about the Institute’s activities and technical capabilities. Particular emphasis was placed on the contributions of its experts as members of National Technical Committees in Serbia, as well as of IEC and CENELEC Technical Committees. Future activities aimed at more effective cooperation between the IEC and CIGRE were also discussed, particularly in areas relevant to the development of modern and sustainable electric power systems.

The meeting between representatives of the IEC, JISC, TEPCO, INT, and ISS provided another valuable opportunity for institutions and experts from Serbia and Japan to exchange experiences, contributing further to the strengthening of international cooperation in the field of electrotechnical standardization.