Our history

UNIM, Ente Nazionale Italiano di Unificazione Meccanica (Italian National Mechanical Unification Body), was founded as a standardisation body by ANIMA Confindustria Meccanica (Confindustria Mechanics). The name was invented by Gabriele D’Annunzio by coining the neologism ‘unification’.

As a first important act, UNIM developed a standard defining the layout of ‘UNIM tables’: the standards of the time.

With a decree, the use of UNIM standards becomes mandatory in Administrations: standardisation and Public Administration start to work together.

The dropping of the ‘M’ brings big changes: UNI becomes independent and begins to deal with every sector of production operating within the General Confederation of Italian Industry.

Italian standardisation emerged in the international context: UNI participated in the foundation of the ISA (today’s ISO) whose presidency in the three-year period 1939-1941 was entrusted to the Italian Giovanni Tofani.

UNI’s first magazine, ‘Unificazione & Certificazione’, is published: the magazine allows readers to share insights, news and readings involving companies, institutions and the general public.

The war ended, the Republic was born and Italy moved towards the boom: UNI was officially recognised as a body of free association, independent of corporate logic.

There is a growing need to use a network of external organisations to develop standardisation in new areas: the idea of the Federated Bodies is born and UNI also starts to collaborate with the National Research Council.

Standardisation is recognised by Confindustria as essential for development. In the meantime, CEN is born with the aim of promoting the free circulation in the new Europe of products with safety guarantees.

Two new focuses for standardisation: on the one hand the energy crisis and standards for the efficient use of resources in buildings. On the other hand, the protection of typical products and the revitalisation of agricultural production.

In the 1980s UNI achieved an important milestone at European level: it was recognised as national standardisation Body by Directive 83/189/EEC and later by Law 317/86.

The European Council Resolution of 7 May 1985 sets out the strategy for technical harmonisation and standardisation to promote the free movement of industrial products.

The ISO 9001, the standard containing guidelines on quality and management system optimisation for all companies, is published worldwide.

UNI and CEI, in a new partnership, set up SINAL, the National System for the Accreditation of Laboratories, and SINCERT, the National System for the Accreditation of Certification Bodies.

Law No. 46 of 5 March 1990 emphasises the importance of standards in the area of household installations safety, making reference to technical standards indispensable.

UNI officially enters the web by launching the website www.unicei.it, later to become www.uni.com: the first of many digital initiatives with innovative tools, among the first standardisation bodies in the world to understand the importance of the Internet.

Standardisation attention towards green policies grows: the UNI EN ISO 14001 standard is published, allowing companies to formulate a new management of environmental policy.

UNIONE, the system for the electronic management of technical bodies, the first document server in the world of standardisation, is born.

Giacomo Elias becomes President of ISO, after having been President of CEN. In the same year, the ISO General Assembly is held for the first and only time in Italy, in Milan.

The digitisation process continues with new innovative tools: the UNIStore e-commerce service and the online standards consultation.

The UNI Award is born, which from 2009 will be named ‘Premio Paolo Scolari’: an award that UNI assigns to personalities who have distinguished themselves in the development and consolidation of technical standardisation.

The standard defining guidelines on Corporate Social Responsibility is published: ISO 26000 becomes the essential tool for sustainable development.

Alongside the technical standards, which codify the state of the art, reference practices, the new normative documents that represent innovation in services and technologies, are born

With Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 of the European Parliament, it is stated that “Standards play an important role in facilitating the market penetration of innovative goods and reducing production costs

Art. 6 of Law 4/2013 on non-organised professions recognises that UNI standards define the principles and criteria governing the self-regulated exercise of professional activity.

The UNI Board of Directors builds its governance model on social responsibility according to UNI EN ISO 26000 and approves the stakeholder map

The new UNI corporate claim ‘A well made world’ is born. Four simple words that sum up the philosophy of standardisation and its ability to improve our lives. To launch the claim, UNI produces its first institutional spot, which is broadcast on the web and social media, gaining more than 2,000,000 views.

30 years after the previous one, the new UNI Statute is approved by the members through a referendum. Abandoning the term Unification, UNI becomes Ente Italiano di Normazione, “a non-profit association based in Milan. The principles by which it is inspired are to affirm the dignity of the Person and protect fundamental Human Rights.”

On 26 January, UNI celebrates its 100th birthday. In a century, 48,000 standards have been drawn up that accompany our daily lives at home, at work, at school and in our free time. The centenary is celebrated at the Campidoglio in Rome, highlighting the importance of standardisation for the Country’s development. The new UNI logo is born.

Sustainability also passes through inclusion: the reference practice on gender equality is published, to which the first issue of STANDARD, UNI’s new magazine with major editorial collaborations, is dedicated.