On September 5, 2025, the International Alliance for Regional Innovation and Standardization (IARIS) officially passed the review of the Licensing Office of the Hong Kong Police Force and was duly registered as a legal entity, with registration number REF.CP/LIC/SO/19/66725.
I. Evolution and Upgrade: From a Cooperative Initiative to an International Organization
The Alliance’s predecessor was the “Regional Innovation and Standardization Cooperation Organization” (RISCO), which was jointly inaugurated by over 40 international institutions at the World Frontier Science and Technology Conference held in Beijing in September 2024. Over its one-year operational period, RISCO actively advanced the development of multilateral and bilateral standardization cooperation mechanisms, thereby laying a solid foundation of international collaboration and working experience for the formal establishment of the Alliance.
II. Legal Registration and Organizational Status
The formal registration with the Hong Kong Police Force signifies the organization’s upgrade from a regional cooperative initiative to a legally recognized international non‑governmental organization. The statutory Chinese name of the Alliance is “国际区域创新与标准化联盟”, and its statutory English name is “International Alliance for Regional Innovation and Standardization” (abbreviated as IARIS).
III. Broad International Representation and Scale
At the time of its inception, the Alliance comprised 44 member entities from 36 countries and regions worldwide, including international organizations, standardization bodies, research institutes, and industry representatives. This composition fully demonstrates the Alliance’s extensive international representation and cross‑sectoral synergy.
IV. Strategic Positioning and Future Outlook
Following its official registration, the Alliance will leverage Hong Kong’s unique geographical advantages as an international financial center and a hub for scientific and technological innovation, as well as its robust rule‑of‑law environment, to further promote regional innovation collaboration and standardization cooperation globally. In the future, IARIS is committed to building an open and shared community of international technical standards, providing efficient organizational support and a platform for the interconnection of global scientific and technological innovation and industrial development.
Continuation of the Predecessor: The International Alliance for Regional Innovation and Standardization (IARIS) evolved directly from the “Regional Innovation and Standardization Cooperation Organization” (RISCO), which was inaugurated at the World Frontier Science and Technology Conference in Beijing in September 2024. RISCO served as the Alliance’s predecessor, establishing one year of international cooperation and standardization work that underpins the Alliance’s current foundation.
