June 16-19, 2026, the 2026 Plenary of ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 31 (Subcommittee 31 of the Joint Technical Committee 1 of the International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission, focusing on Automatic Identification and Data Capture techniques) was successfully held in Vienna, Austria, coinciding with the subcommittee's 30th anniversary. Hosted by the Austrian company Innobir.e.U, the meeting was attended by over 30 representatives and experts from more than ten national bodies—including China, the United States, Germany, Japan, France, Australia, South Korea, and Canada—as well as various liaison organizations such as GS1, the RAIN RFID Alliance, and AIM Global. The Chinese delegation, led by GS1 China Deputy General Manager Li Jianhui, included Wang Yi, Dong Xiaowen, and Li Zhimin from the Article Numbering Centre of China, who participated in the meeting in person. The conference consisted of Working Group 8, 2 and 4 meetings, a Heads-of-Delegation (HoD) meeting, and the Plenary.

The SC 31 Plenary was chaired by Mr. Henri Barthel, the current Chair of SC 31. In an impassioned speech marking the committee's 30th anniversary, he reflected on the arduous journey of SC 31’s growth over the past three decades. He noted that, driven by global trends toward informatization and digital-intelligent transformation, there is a constant emergence of standardization needs for novel AIDC technologies and new industry applications—such as DPP and supply chain transparency—underscoring the ever-increasing importance of international standardization work in the AIDC sector.

The plenary session conveyed resolutions from the latest ISO/IEC JTC 1 plenary meeting and received work reports from four standing working groups and the Vocabulary working group. It also heard national reports from national bodies—including China, Germany, Japan, and the United States—as well as reports from liaison organizations such as AIM Global, GS1, the RAIN Alliance, and ISO TC59. Key issues, including the succession of the international SC31 Chair and the WG 8 Convener, were discussed. The session approved the annual work report and work plan, determined the nominee for the next Chair, finalized the schedule and venue for the 2027 plenary meeting, and formally adopted the meeting resolutions.

During the plenary session, the Chinese delegation actively participated in discussions on the agenda, offered China's insights and proposals, and successfully fulfilled all its mission objectives. First, Chinese experts—serving as Rapporteur of the Vocabulary working group—reported to the plenary on the revision status of the ISO/IEC 19762 standard (Information technology — Automatic identification and data capture techniques — Vocabulary), as well as newly identified needs for terminology development and the roadmap for future revisions. Second, the delegation presented Chinese national report, sharing recent progress in AIDC technology and standardization for the 2025–2026 period and highlighting achievements in areas such as the application of 2D code, RFID technologies, DPP standardization, standardization of 2D codes for commodities, and the development of national standards for specialized industry applications. Third, in both Working Group 8 and the plenary session, the delegation outlined the development plan for the new international standard ISO/IEC 8506-21 (Information technology — AIDC application in industrial construction — Identification of prefabricated components) and provided updates on standardization activities within ISO/TC 59 (Buildings and civil engineering works) and its subcommittees. Throughout the working group meetings and the plenary session, Chinese experts actively facilitated the coordination of multiple international standardization projects, reaching international consensus among SC 31 experts and relevant international organizations on the collaborative development and advancement of these standards.

The ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 31 Plenary serves as a vital platform for China to engage deeply in the governance of international standards for automatic identification and data capture. GS1 China will continue to dedicate itself to standardization research in this field, steadily enhancing China’s international influence and depth of participation. It will further deepen cross-border technical exchanges and project collaborations, working together to advance the global cause of standardization in automatic identification and item coding, while actively contributing Chinese practices and solutions.