Abstract
Common standards are essential for Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Several studies suggest that (almost) all standardization working groups (WGs) are dominated by large firms and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and are typically marginalized. However, SMEs account for around 99% of all enterprises in the EU; their active participation in the standardization process would thus be crucial to develop ICT standards that meet the needs of the vast majority of their users. This article first discusses the current situation of SMEs in ICT standardization and the associated issues. Second, it conducts an econometric analysis to investigate the drivers of the use of ICT standards and engagement in ICT standardization based on a large and representative survey from Luxembourg. Regardless of their size, firms that actually and consciously deploy ICT standards in their core business are much more prepared to participate in standards-setting actively than those that do not. The article also proposes a way to exploit this correlation. The resulting implications for standards-setting organizations and policymakers are discussedn.
