Global
Quality forum
vienna 2 0 2 6
Trust, Trade and Transformation
through Quality
UNIDO
Headquarters
(Vienna, Austria)
A high-level platform on Quality Infrastructure
4-6
November
2026
What is Quality Infrastructure?
The members of the INetQI have adopted the following definition of Quality infrastructure:
The system comprising the organizations (public and private) together with the policies, relevant legal and regulatory framework, and practices needed to support and enhance the quality, safety and environmental soundness of goods, services and processes.
The quality infrastructure is required for the effective operation of domestic markets, and its international recognition is important to enable access to foreign markets. It is a critical element in promoting and sustaining economic development, as well as environmental and social wellbeing.
Global Quality Forum
Global trade is changing rapidly. New
sustainability requirements, digital
compliance systems, supply chain
disruptions and increasingly complex
market rules are redefining how
countries and businesses access
regional and global markets.
The Global Quality Forum will bring together governments,
intergovernmental and international
organizations, Quality Infrastructure
institutions, development partners,
financial institutions, industry and
academia to examine how standards,
metrology, accreditation, conformity
assessment and market surveillance
enable resilient trade, innovation,
sustainable supply chains and
sustainable development.
Core themes
Theme 1
Building Quality Infrastructure for Resilient and Integrated Economies
Forum day 1 establishes why quality matters strategically and how countries can respond. High-level speakers first frame the challenges from global, regional and national perspectives. The discussion then moves to the international QI organizations and coherent national systems, followed by regional cooperation and financing.
Session 1: Quality Infrastructure Responding to a Changing Global Economy
Session 2: International Quality Infrastructure in Action
Session 3: Regional Quality Infrastructure for Integration
Session 4: Financing Quality Infrastructure
Theme 2
Quality in Practice: Protecting People, Enabling Industry and Preparing QI for the Future
Forum day 2 shifts to application, concrete problems and practical examples. It uses sectors to demonstrate how QI capabilities operate in reality, while allowing QI institutions, industry beneficiaries and technical experts to contribute substantively.
Session 5: Quality Across a Value Chain: Cosmetics as a Complete QI Case Study
Session 6: Quality Protecting People and Communities
Session 7: Quality Enabling Resilient and Sustainable Industry
Session 8: Future-ready Quality Infrastructure
Theme 3
Measuring What Matters - Data, Evidence and Global QI Insights
Forum Day 3 focuses on the launch of the third edition of the QI4SD Index and the role of measurement, benchmarking and data governance in identifying gaps, tracking progress and prioritizing investment.
Session 9: Launch of the QI4SD Index 2026 Edition
Session 10: From Data to Action: Strengthening QI through Trusted Data and Global Systems
Objectives
Quality systems for market access,
sustainable supply chains and MSME
competitiveness
Sustainable and inclusive value chains
Digital quality systems and connected
trade
Quality infrastructure for regional
integration
Financing quality infrastructure and
scaling impact
Data-driven decision-making through
the QI4SD Index
For any information
UNIDO HQ
Vienna International Centre, Wagramer Straße 5, P.O. Box 300, A-1400 Vienna, Austria Conference Room CR3 (C building)
Email
globalqualityforum@unido.org
Website
https://www.unido.org/events/global-quality-forum-2026