Kiwa Stories - Articles

The new CPR legislation: what does it mean for you?

With the introduction of the revised Construction Products Regulation (CPR), a lot is changing for manufacturers of construction products. The updated CPR will take effect gradually, depending on the product group. But what exactly does this European legislation entail? What can you expect? And why is it smart to start preparing now?

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Ready for Tomorrow’s Hydrogen Market?

Hydrogen is powering the future of mobility and energy storage—but getting your tanks and components certified is complex. Kiwa offers a complete solution, guiding manufacturers from design and testing to certification and production quality assurance, ensuring safety, compliance, and global market readiness.

Inside the Day of a Product & Installations Engineer

Ever wondered what it takes to ensure products are safe, reliable, and certified? Follow Jürgen Koeneman, Kiwa’s Product & Installations Engineer, as he takes you behind the scenes of inspections, installations, and quality checks that protect homes and businesses worldwide.

Testing hydrogen tanks: ensuring safety, quality and reliability

Hydrogen’s future depends on safety — at Kiwa’s hydrogen laboratory, we test and certify tanks under extreme conditions to ensure reliable, leak-tight, and market-ready solutions.

Impact of the AI-act on your medical device

Any medical device that makes use of software, or is a software in itself (MDSW), could potentially fall under the Regulation 2024/1689 (informally known as ‘AI act’), if the software, or part of it, meets the definition as laid down in this Regulation*. For devices falling under the AI Act, the deadline of August 2, 2027, is fast approaching, considering the timelines for conformity assessment.  

Partnering for Quality: What you should know about our quality system and certification process.

As a medical device manufacturer, choosing the right Notified Body is a critical strategic decision. You need a partner that not only understands the regulatory landscape but also operates with the highest standards of quality. It's not just about ticking boxes, it's the bedrock of trust we build with you, the medical device manufacturer, ensuring that when we give a medical device the thumbs up, it's genuinely safe and performs as it should.

At Astra Sweets, ‘every day is audit day’

Food safety is a non-negotiable priority for Astra Sweets, a confectionery producer with sites in Belgium and the Netherlands. For over a decade, the firm has been relying on our colleagues at Vinçotte Belgium, part of the Kiwa Group, to maintain the highest food safety standards – ensuring compliance as well as reaping tangible business benefits.

Hydrogen regulations: Compliance by design

Hydrogen technology is developing at lightning speed, especially in the automotive sector. However, innovations are regularly delayed or even brought to a halt due to complex and internationally varying regulations. This is particularly true for systems with pressure components or mobile applications, where the requirements differ greatly by region and application. Kiwa expert Leendert van der Marel therefore advocates a clear approach: design hydrogen systems with regulations in mind from the very beginning. 

A New Foundation for Food Safety — What ISO 22002-100:2025 Means for the Industry

In July 2025, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) released a full revision of the ISO 22002 series. At the centre of this update is ISO 22002-100:2025, a new foundational standard that redefines how prerequisite programs (PRPs) are structured and applied. For professionals working in food safety it is more than ‘just another update’. It’s a strategic shift.

A Day in the Life of a Food Safety Auditor

In the world of food safety, precision and integrity are paramount. For auditors working under the IFS Food standard , every week (and sometimes day) brings a new challenge, a new production line, and a new opportunity to safeguard consumer trust. We joined auditor Susan van Meeteren - Bel on an unannounced three-day IFS Food recertification audit to gain firsthand insight into the precision and pace of her daily work.

Kiwa PVEL 2025 PV Module Reliability Scorecard: Top Performers & Emerging Risks

Explore key insights from Kiwa PVEL’s 2025 PV Module Reliability Scorecard, featuring 50 Top Performer manufacturers, rising test failures (83%), and new trends in reliability, UVID, PID, breakage, and hail performance.

Managing Product Recalls

In today’s complex global food supply chain, product recalls are no longer rare exceptions—they are a reality. Contamination, mislabeling, or regulatory non-compliance can trigger recalls with significant impact on producers, retailers, and consumers.

Utility Mapping: What It Is and How It Can Be Used in Damage Prevention

Explore what utility mapping is, its role in underground utility detection, and how technologies like SUE and HDD 3D modeling improve accuracy. Learn the risks, limitations, and importance of professional oversight in preventing costly utility strikes.

Esko's Trust Center: Building Trust in Digital – Beyond Compliance

In today’s fast-moving packaging and branding industry, digital trust is no longer a technical side note. It’s a commercial necessity. For Esko, a global leader in packaging technology with roots in Ghent, Belgium digital trust has evolved into a strategic differentiator. Recently, Vinçotte, a Kiwa company, spoke with Esko’s CDTO and CMO to learn how they’re approaching this challenge.

7 Common Misconceptions About the New CPR-2024 Regulation

The revised Construction Products Regulation (CPR-2024) is already in effect, yet many manufacturers still operate under outdated assumptions. From the phased rollout and new environmental requirements to the expanded scope and responsibilities, it’s time to separate fact from fiction. In this article, we unpack the 7 most common misconceptions about the new CPR law—and what you actually need to do to stay compliant.

AIB 2025-1 MDCG 2025-6 : A Guiding Document for AI-Powered Medical Devices

The AIB 2025-1 MDCG 2025-6 guidance document represents a major milestone for medical device manufacturers across the European Union. It clarifies the interplay between the Medical Device Regulation (MDR), In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Device Regulation (IVDR), and the newly adopted Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA, offering comprehensive direction for compliance in this emerging landscape.

Operation Clean Sweep: small pellets, big responsibility

With Kiwa Certification, plastics processors demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and prepare for future legislation

How Vinçotte Ensures a Secure Festival Experience

Discover how Vinçotte’s professional on-site inspections help festival organizers across Europe secure tents, stages, and electrical setups to create safe environments for visitors and crew. Avoid risks, stay compliant, and ensure a successful event with expert guidance.

How Approach Cyber Turns Digital Trust into Practice

At Approach Cyber, trust by design means embedding security, privacy, and transparency into every layer of the organization – not just the code. From ISO certifications to an open culture, discover how they turn trust into action.

EMDN Codes: Hierarchical Structure and Application

Under the European Union's medical device regulations, MDR (EU 2017/745) and IVDR (EU 2017/746), it has become mandatory for all devices to be included in a common classification system. This classification system is defined as the European Medical Device Nomenclature (EMDN) and plays a critical role in the placing of devices on the market, traceability and technical file content.