This was the SNV centenary celebration of 23 May 2019
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100 years and not a bit tired
To celebrate our 100th birthday in 2019, we tell you here month after month what we have experienced in our 100 years and inform you when and where we celebrate our birthday.
Our centenary year
Timeline
2010 to 2020
A look towards the future
The SNV centenary provided the perfect opportunity to look back on 10 decades of standardization work and standard development. Much has changed over the course of a century, but something has remained the same: the SNV continues to engage with future-relevant topics with the same dedication it has shown throughout its existence. The SNV programme managers ensure that topics such as food authenticity, blockchain technology, energy, the circular economy and additive manufacturing, etc., are aligned with the needs of the economy and society. Four programme managers and their line manager discuss some of the future-relevant topics they are overseeing at the moment. At the end of our series «100 years SNV» you can win – with a little luck – a voucher for Mövenpick Wine in our monthly competition.
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2000 to 2010
All about football
Football is often known as the beautiful game. No other sport captivates the crowds in quite the same way. Some enjoy playing themselves, others are passionate about watching, and everyone knows what’s required: getting the ball to the back of the net. But what are the rules that remain unnoticed in the background and yet ensure that everything runs smoothly? There are over half a dozen standards at play before the ball completes its journey from the player’s foot to the back of the net. Get to know the «football standards» in the 10th story of our series and take part in our monthly competition. Again this month there are attractive prizes to win!
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1990 to 2000
The world’s first website – made in Switzerland
The 1990s laid the foundations for some profound transformations in our society. It was in this period that the digital revolution really began to take off, with computers and mobile phones becoming more and more common sights both in the professional and private sphere. It was also the decade in which the Internet became accessible to the general public, marking the birth of the World Wide Web. Find out in our interview how Peter Scheibli, then Head of Standardization at SNV, experienced this formative period. With a little luck, you can win a voucher from Manor worth CHF 50 in our monthly competition.
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1980 to 1990
«Long road to seat belt law» – compulsory seat belt usage provides safety
According to the bfu – Swiss Council for Accident Prevention, the seat belt is still the most important road safety measure for vehicle occupants today – despite all technical progress – and it also doubles their chances of surviving a traffic accident. The importance of the seat belt was not realized from the very outset – its history is correspondingly dating back to the 1980s. Today, wearing seat belts is a matter of course for the majority of people in Switzerland. Read our Story 8 and find out what the world would look like without standards. Again this month there are attractive prizes to win in our monthly competition!
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1970 to 1980
The oil crisis as the birth of sustainability
The fruitful decades after the war saw energy demands in Switzerland skyrocket. New nuclear power plants are planned while the structure of energy consumption is changing. While the Swiss government debates the future energy policy, the country and the whole western world are astonished by the global oil crisis. Swiss energy law turns 20 this year. We will give you a review of the history of politics. While the Swiss government debates the future energy policy, the country and the whole western world are astonished by the global oil crisis. Find out how the 17 UN goals for sustainable development address the consequences of the oil crisis of the 1970s. But the oil crisis was also a major trigger for technical progress. Christian Bach, Head of the Automotive Powertrain Technologies department at Empa, explains to us how the climate impact of road mobility can be reduced. Also in this month there is a chance to win a prize in our monthly competition.
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1960 to 1970
Far from N-O-R-M-al
The 1960s are the era in which society is both shaken and stirred. The Cuba crisis, the Vietnam war, the student movement, flower power, the construction of the Berlin Wall, the moon landing and the advent of the pill are just a few of the events that sum up the decade. Individuality is the name of the game socially and culturally, but in the world of business the work of national and international standardization is continuing to establish itself. Companies have an unbridled interest in harmonization, which gives them access to new international markets. You can also take part in our competition this month for a chance to win some great prizes.
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1950 to 1960
Power flows out of every socket
In the post-war years, Switzerland and Europe experienced an economic recovery of a hitherto unknown magnitude. This boom ensured that there was enough financial latitude for domestic households to flourish. During the 1950s, washing machines, refrigerators and domestic and DIY electrical appliances found their way into the apartments and houses of the Swiss population. This development was made possible by electrification. Immerse yourself in our picture-book history, showing life in the 1950s, a time defined by technological progress, and one that delivered us many of the pleasant things that we would now not be able or willing to manage without. Win a voucher for Manor worth CHF 50.00 in our monthly competition.
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1940 to 1950
The world is crying out for standards
The need for uniform standards for the purpose of rationalization and industrialization is increasing all around the world. International trade and communication can only be accelerated and made more cost-effective with the help of common minimum requirements. The Second World War interrupts some of the ongoing efforts to establish international standards, however. After the end of the war, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is founded in London in October 1946. In story No. 4, you learn what role Switzerland played in the founding of the ISO. You can win SBB e-vouchers in the monthly competition.
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1930 to 1940
The success story of Swiss social partnership – cooperation, not conflict
The peace treaty in the Swiss metal and mechanical engineering industry was signed in 1937. Its aim was to secure industrial peace in Switzerland and, in subsequent decades, it would make a significant contribution to securing sustainable and positive economic growth in the country. Immerse yourself in the 1930s through historical images and films, and with some calculation skills you could win a gift card from Mövenpick Wine in our monthly competition.
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1920 to 1930
The roaring 20s: exuberant, fast-paced and incredibly innovative
To this day, the Roaring Twenties epitomise pleasure and lust for life. But the 20s were not only fast-paced, accompanied by a beguiling trumpet music – they were also a decade of remarkable invention. Take a journey back in time to this fascinating era with our image series and find out about the important role standards play for inventions. You can also take part in our competition again this month for a chance to win some great prizes.
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1910 to 1920
An old lady with modern thoughts
Do you want to find out how the SNV came about? We enjoyed a fascinating dialogue with Dr Hans Zürrer, who was Director of the SNV from 1987 to 1999. You will also find out why we use DIN A4 paper here in Switzerland, and how the different formats measure up against each other. Would you like to celebrate our birthday with us? Take part in our monthly competition for a chance to win some great prizes.
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Founded in 1919