<P> The Engineering Standards Committee was established in London in 1901 as the world's first national standards body . It subsequently extended its standardization work and became the British Engineering Standards Association in 1918, adopting the name British Standards Institution in 1931 after receiving its Royal Charter in 1929 . The national standards were adopted universally throughout the country, and enabled the markets to act more rationally and efficiently, with an increased level of cooperation . </P> <P> After the First World War, similar national bodies were established in other countries . The Deutsches Institut für Normung was set up in Germany in 1917, followed by its counterparts, the American National Standard Institute and the French Commission Permanente de Standardisation, both in 1918 . </P> <P> By the mid to late 19th century, efforts were being made to standardize electrical measurement . An important figure was R.E.B. Crompton, who became concerned by the large range of different standards and systems used by electrical engineering companies and scientists in the early 20th century . Many companies had entered the market in the 1890s and all chose their own settings for voltage, frequency, current and even the symbols used on circuit diagrams . Adjacent buildings would have totally incompatible electrical systems simply because they had been fitted out by different companies . Crompton could see the lack of efficiency in this system and began to consider proposals for an international standard for electric engineering . </P> <P> In 1904, Crompton represented Britain at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri, as part of a delegation by the Institute of Electrical Engineers . He presented a paper on standardisation, which was so well received that he was asked to look into the formation of a commission to oversee the process . By 1906 his work was complete and he drew up a permanent constitution for the first international standards organization, the International Electrotechnical Commission . The body held its first meeting that year in London, with representatives from 14 countries . In honour of his contribution to electrical standardisation, Lord Kelvin was elected as the body's first President . </P>

Who is the standard setting organisation for your sector