SÃO PAULO — The first plenary meeting of 2026 of the Joint Technical Committee on Information Technology (ISO/IEC JTC1) of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) was recently held in São Paulo, Brazil. More than 100 delegates from countries including China, the United States, Germany, and Japan participated both in person and remotely.
The meeting included reports from the Chair and Secretary, as well as work reports and resolution reviews from the Information Technology Task Force (ITTF), Working Groups (WG), Advisory Groups (AG), Ad Hoc Groups (AhG), and Strategic Coordination Groups (SCG).
Focusing on Emerging Technologies, Charting New Standardization Directions
The meeting focused on in-depth discussions around JTC1 organizational governance, frontier technology working mechanisms, emerging technology standardization directions, Metaverse coordination mechanisms, neuromorphic computing systems, data governance, and the Standards Online Development Platform (OSD) mechanism, as well as coordination in key areas.
The meeting resolved to further strengthen the standardization layout for frontier technologies such as neuromorphic computing, enhance cross-domain standardization collaboration, and expand communication and cooperation with external organizations.
Neuromorphic Computing: From Laboratories to the Standardization Frontier
Neuromorphic computing is widely regarded as the next-generation disruptive technology in artificial intelligence, following deep learning. Its core concept is to mimic the structure and working mechanisms of biological neurons and synapses in the human brain, building chips and systems capable of efficient computation at extremely low power consumption. Unlike traditional von Neumann architectures, neuromorphic computing employs event-driven mechanisms and spiking neural network paradigms, demonstrating significant energy efficiency advantages in perception, reasoning, and decision-making tasks.
However, the field of neuromorphic computing has long lacked unified international standards — from device characterization and chip architecture to programming frameworks and application interfaces, technical approaches remain highly fragmented across research institutions and enterprises. JTC1's decision to explicitly strengthen the standardization layout for neuromorphic computing signals that this field will transition from the "independent efforts" of the laboratory phase into a globally coordinated standard-setting phase, paving the way for industrialization.
Metaverse Coordination Mechanism: Building a "Common Language" for the Virtual World
As a significant next-generation form of the internet, the Metaverse involves deep integration of numerous technologies including virtual reality, augmented reality, digital twins, blockchain, and artificial intelligence. Critical bottlenecks constraining Metaverse development include the lack of interoperability between different platforms, the difficulty of cross-platform digital asset circulation, and the inability to interconnect user identities and data across platforms.
JTC1's establishment of a Metaverse coordination mechanism aims to integrate standardization efforts across relevant subcommittees and promote the development of fundamental concepts, terminology, and architectural frameworks for the Metaverse. Currently, ISO/IEC JTC1 is already advancing Metaverse-related standards projects, including the development of Metaverse terminology and concepts. This will provide a unified "common language" and "interoperability foundation" for the healthy development of the global Metaverse industry.
Standards Online Development Platform (OSD): Advancing the Digital Transformation of Standardization
OSD is a major digital standardization initiative jointly promoted by ISO and IEC, aimed at transitioning the international standards development process from traditional offline meetings and document circulation to a cloud-based collaborative, real-time editing, version-controlled online platform. The advancement of OSD will enable standards experts worldwide to participate more efficiently in standards development, lower barriers to participation, and accelerate the standards publication cycle. JTC1's inclusion of the OSD mechanism in its agenda reflects the international standards community's strong commitment to the digital transformation of standardization work itself.
Chinese Delegation's Deep Engagement: Contributing Chinese Expertise
During the meeting, the Chinese delegation participated deeply in discussions across all topics, presenting views and recommendations in the fields of neuromorphic computing, intelligent unmanned systems, and brain-computer interfaces, working jointly with international experts to advance international standardization in information technology.
China has built substantial research capabilities in neuromorphic computing — numerous domestic universities and research institutions have achieved significant results in spiking neural network algorithms and brain-inspired chip design. In intelligent unmanned systems and brain-computer interfaces, China similarly possesses rich application scenarios and technological reserves. The active participation of the Chinese delegation at this plenary brings China's practical experience in frontier technologies into the international standards development process, contributing Chinese wisdom and solutions to global information technology standardization.
IARIS Perspective
The International Alliance for Regional Innovation and Standardization (IARIS) recognizes that ISO/IEC JTC1, as the highest-level standardization technical committee in the field of information technology, plays a strategically critical guiding role through its annual plenary meetings in shaping the direction of global information technology standards.
The formal inclusion of emerging technologies such as the Metaverse and neuromorphic computing into JTC1's standardization agenda reflects the clear trend of international standardization accelerating its extension into emerging technology domains. The standardization of these technologies is not only crucial to the industrialization process itself but also bears significant implications for the competitive landscape of the future digital economy and the global governance framework.
Notably, the frontier areas prioritized in the discussions — neuromorphic computing, intelligent unmanned systems, and brain-computer interfaces — are also precisely the domains where innovation is most active in the Asia-Pacific region. IARIS calls upon standardization bodies, research institutions, and enterprises across the Asia-Pacific region to closely monitor JTC1's standards progress in these areas and actively participate in international standard-setting, securing a voice in standards during the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation.
IARIS will continue to track the standards development dynamics of JTC1 and its relevant subcommittees, actively promoting standards coordination and innovation cooperation in frontier information technology fields across the Asia-Pacific region, and contributing to the building of an open, inclusive, and collaborative global information technology standards ecosystem.
