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Distinguished leaders, colleagues, and experts,

It's an honor to address you at the World Internet of Things Convention 2025, especially as we celebrate WIOTC's 10th anniversary. 

Thank you to the organizers for inviting me and for your warm welcome. 

As we mark this milestone, I'm delighted to reaffirm the International Electrotechnical Commission’s commitment to advancing the global digital economy and intelligent interconnected society.

The Internet of Things touches countless sectors—from electricity transmission to the devices in our cities and homes, connecting us all. 

This year's theme, "Intelligently Interconnected New Economy, Smart Society in the New Era," captures this perfectly. 

It resonates deeply with IEC's vision of moving toward an all-electric, connected world.

To reach this smart, connected world, standards are essential. They're the invisible infrastructure enabling innovation, interoperability, and trust. 

Without them, IoT's promise cannot be fully realized.

Through our joint work with ISO in the joint technical committee ISO/IEC Subcommittee 41, we develop foundational IoT and digital twin standards, ensuring safety, reliability, and compatibility across applications. 

This committee brings global experts together to address major IoT challenges, namely security, privacy, reliability, resilience, and scalability.

Currently, we're developing the third edition of our reference architecture standard—which provides the global framework ensuring diverse technologies connect seamlessly and securely. 

We're also creating standards for ecological environment monitoring: covering air, water, soil, and living organisms, and supporting sustainability goals.

Recent work addresses digital twin implementation and closely related areas from sensors to industrial automation and cybersecurity.

Combined with artificial intelligence, IoT transforms data into knowledge. 

That's why parallel work in the AI sector addresses both technical and socio-technical considerations.

IoT also supports the renewable energy transition through smart grid applications. 

IEC Standards enable real-time data collection, two-way communication, and monitoring, helping utilities manage decentralized electricity production and troubleshoot outages efficiently.

In smart cities, IoT enhances urban services, transportation, waste management, public safety, and health. 

The ISO/IEC joint technical committee on Smart cities takes a holistic standardization approach. 

Through IEC Systems Committee Smart Manufacturing, we're harmonizing standards for intelligent factories, enabling efficiency, sustainability, and competitiveness.

IEC Standards and conformity assessment empower resilient, sustainable, and interoperable digital ecosystems. 

When governments, industry, and standardization bodies work together, we ensure the Internet of Things and the digital economy evolve in inclusive, sustainable, and trustworthy ways.

I commend WIOTC for bringing these stakeholders together at this powerful convention.

On behalf of IEC, congratulations on your 10th anniversary, and best wishes for this convention's success. 

Together, let's continue building a smarter, safer, and more interconnected world.

Thank you.