Att certifiera produkter som ligger före sin tid

Innovationstakten inom elektrifiering och ny teknik ökar snabbt – samtidigt som standarder och certifieringsprocesser ofta utvecklas långsammare. Under SEK Årsmöte 2026 beskrev Jens Peter Schroer från Blixt Tech vilka utmaningar som kan uppstå när nya produkter saknar en tydlig väg till certifiering och marknadsintroduktion. 

Blixt Tech arbetar med elektrifiering och utveckling av ny teknik för eldistribution. Utgångspunkten för företagets arbete var att stora delar av distributionsnäten fortfarande bygger på mekaniska lösningar och teknik som i många fall utvecklades för flera decennier sedan. 

Samtidigt förändras energisystemet snabbt. Elektrifiering av transporter, uppvärmning, datacenter och annan infrastruktur driver ett växande behov av effekt och flexibilitet i elnäten. 

En central del i presentationen handlade om kopplingsutrustning – utrustning som används för att styra och skydda elektriska system. Som exempel lyfte Jens fram effektbrytare, som fortfarande till stor del bygger på mekaniska principer.  

Enligt Jens bygger dagens lösningar fortfarande till stor del på mekaniska principer, vilket innebär begränsningar när nya krav uppstår, exempelvis inom likströmssystem, övervakning och styrning. 

Det är i grunden mekaniska system som utvecklades för en annan typ av eldistribution.

Ny teknik möter gamla standarder 

Blixt Tech utvecklade därför en elektronisk halvledarbaserad effektbrytare – utan traditionella mekaniska brytare – med målet att skapa snabbare och mer flexibla lösningar för framtidens distributionssystem. 

När företaget skulle certifiera produkten uppstod dock en ny utmaning. De befintliga standarderna för effektbrytare utgick från att tekniken var mekanisk. 

Definitionen i standarden beskrev en effektbrytare som en mekanisk brytutrustning. Just ordet ”mekanisk” blev avgörande.

Trots att produkten kunde utföra samma funktion som en traditionell effektbrytare gick den därför inte att certifiera enligt den befintliga standarden. 

I stället fick företaget hitta alternativa vägar genom att kombinera andra standarder och kompletterande tester för att visa att produkten uppfyllde relevanta säkerhets- och funktionskrav. 

Innovation och standardisering i olika takt 

Jens beskrev hur utvecklingen inom ny teknik idag ofta går snabbare än både standardisering och certifieringsprocesser. 

Innovationstakten ökar snabbt, samtidigt som standarder ofta försöker komma i kapp.

För att standarder ska överleva behöver de anpassa sig – snabbt.

Han menade också att mindre och nya företag spelar en viktig roll i utvecklingen av framtidens teknik och därför behöver få större möjlighet att delta i standardiseringsarbetet. 

Lyssna på de nya aktörerna. De kan bidra med perspektiv som de etablerade deltagarna inte alltid ser.

 

Read the English version of the article below.

How to certify a product that’s ahead of its time

Innovation in electrification and new technologies is accelerating rapidly – while standards and certification processes often evolve at a slower pace. During SEK Annual Meeting 2026, Jens Peter Schroer from Blixt Tech described the challenges that can arise when new products lack a clear path to certification and market introduction.

Blixt Tech works with electrification and the development of new technologies for electrical distribution. The company’s starting point was the realization that large parts of today’s distribution networks still rely on mechanical solutions and technologies that, in many cases, were developed decades ago.

At the same time, the energy system is changing rapidly. Electrification of transport, heating, data centers and other infrastructure is driving an increasing demand for power and flexibility in electrical grids.

A central part of the presentation focused on switchgear – equipment used to control and protect electrical systems. As an example, Jens highlighted circuit breakers, which still largely rely on mechanical principles.

According to Jens, many of today’s solutions are still fundamentally based on mechanical systems, creating limitations when new requirements emerge, for example within direct current (DC) systems, monitoring and controllability.

It’s fundamentally mechanical systems that were developed for a different type of electrical distribution.

New technology meets old standards

Blixt Tech therefore developed an electronic semiconductor-based circuit breaker – without traditional mechanical breakers – with the aim of creating faster and more flexible solutions for future distribution systems.

However, when the company attempted to certify the product, a new challenge emerged. Existing standards for circuit breakers were based on the assumption that the technology was mechanical.

The definition in the standard described a circuit breaker as a mechanical switching device. The very word ‘mechanical’ became crucial.

Even though the product could perform the same function as a traditional circuit breaker, it could not be certified according to the existing standard.

Instead, the company had to find alternative approaches by combining other standards and supplementary testing to demonstrate that the product fulfilled relevant safety and functional requirements.

Innovation and standardization moving at different speeds

Jens described how the development of new technologies today often moves faster than both standardization and certification processes.

Innovation comes faster. Standards are playing catch up.

At the same time, he emphasized that standards play an important role for interoperability, compatibility and safety. However, according to Jens, there is also a risk that standards become too technology-specific and therefore make it more difficult to introduce new solutions.

A missing standard should never stop a new product.

He particularly highlighted the importance of standards focusing more on function and outcome rather than exact technical implementation.

Small companies facing major barriers

Another topic raised during the presentation was the complexity surrounding standards and certification – particularly for smaller companies and startups.

Understanding which standards apply, which tests are required and which organizations to approach can be both time-consuming and costly.

Once you open one standard, you suddenly realize there are ten more you need to relate to.

He also described how larger companies often have dedicated resources and specialist expertise in this area, while smaller companies may struggle to navigate the system.

The need for faster and more open processes

During the presentation, Jens outlined several possible ways to make standardization and certification more accessible and flexible for new technologies.

Among other things, he called for:

• faster updates of standards
• greater focus on functional requirements rather than specific technologies
• simpler and more affordable support for startups and smaller companies
• greater openness around standardization work and participation

He also compared the process to how open standards and development models work within software and internet protocols.

We need to make standardization more accessible and bring more new players into the process.

Innovation requires adaptability

Finally, Jens emphasized the importance of standards and certification evolving in step with new technologies and innovation.

For standards to survive, they need to adapt – rapidly.

He also stressed that smaller and newer companies play an important role in the development of future technologies and therefore need greater opportunities to participate in standardization work.

Bring the small ones to the table. They can contribute perspectives that established participants do not always see.