Quality Infrastructure Emerges as a Key Player in the Circular Economy at High-Level Meeting in Córdoba, Argentina

Córdoba, Argentina  |  April 7–9, 2026  |  CEITTEC Event – QI4CE Project

From April 7 to 9, 2026, Córdoba, Argentina hosted a high-level international meeting organized by CEITTEC (Centre for Innovation and Technology Transfer), aimed at advancing the convergence between Quality Infrastructure (QI) and the Circular Economy (CE). Under the framework of the QI4CE project, supported by the Federal Republic of Germany through the coordination of PTB (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt), the event brought together regional and international organizations to explore how quality infrastructure systems can serve as enabling mechanisms for sustainable productive processes.

QICA: Integrating Quality Infrastructure with the Circular Economy

The Quality Infrastructure Council of the Americas (QICA) actively participated in the event with the goal of positioning QI as a key actor in the transition toward a circular economy. The roles of standardization, accreditation, and metrology were highlighted as critical tools for demonstrating the implementation of processes and products aligned with Circular Economy principles.

QICA’s institutional welcome was coordinated by Sonia Sarmiento from COPANT and Javier Arias from SIM, who underscored the strategic role of Quality Infrastructure and introduced the MESURA methodology as a regional reference framework. Given that most participants came from the Circular Economy ecosystem with limited prior knowledge of QI, this positioning proved essential in building conceptual bridges between both fields.

Regional Participation of IAAC

The meeting featured active participation from IAAC’s Executive and Technical Secretary, Ferney Chaparro; the Ecuadorian Accreditation Service (SAE Ecuador), represented by Carlos Echeverría; and the National Accreditation Body of Paraguay (ONA Paraguay), with the presence of Alba Cabrera and Mirta Leiva. These organizations contributed their regional and national experiences in implementing conformity assessment schemes applied to sustainability and the circular economy.

Regional Participation of QICA

Representatives from the Pan American Standards Commission (COPANT) and the Inter-American Metrology System (SIM) were also in attendance, contributing to the regional dialogue on the harmonization of standards, metrology, accreditation, and multilateral cooperation in quality. Participation was further complemented by representatives from ICONTEC (Colombia), the National Metrology Center of Panama (CENAMEP AIP), as well as IRAM and INTI (Argentina).

The OAS and Centers of Excellence for Regional Development

The Organization of American States (OAS) played a prominent role in the event. Its representatives presented the OAS Centers of Excellence, an initiative designed to strengthen technical capacities and innovation in countries across the region. The importance of these centers as platforms for sustainable development and knowledge transfer in strategic areas for Latin America and the Caribbean was highlighted, with a focus on their potential to articulate with Quality Infrastructure systems.

Event Agenda: Workshops, Technical Visits, and Collaborative Work

The three-day agenda combined open conferences, participatory workshops, and technical visits to companies leading in circular economy solutions:

• Tuesday, April 7 – Opening Conference and First Workshop: The day began with welcoming remarks from the OAS, CEITTEC, and QICA. In the afternoon, a workshop with 30 to 40 participants aimed to build a shared understanding of the fundamentals of the Circular Economy and its relevance to Quality Infrastructure systems.
• Wednesday, April 8 – Technical Company Visits: Participants visited Holcim (construction sector) and Grido (food sector), two leading companies implementing circular economy solutions in their operations. Visits included brief interviews and technical exchange sessions.
• Thursday, April 9 – Contextualization and Piloting Workshops: The final day focused on consolidating the meeting’s learnings through applied workshops, where methodologies were piloted to contextualize QI in real circular economy scenarios.

A Shared Regional Agenda

This meeting marks a milestone in the institutional coordination between Quality Infrastructure and Circular Economy stakeholders in Latin America. The collaboration among QICA, SIM, IAAC, COPANT, SAE Ecuador, ONA Paraguay, ICONTEC, IRAM Argentina, INTI Argentina, and the OAS reflects the region’s commitment to building robust technical frameworks that support a sustainable productive transition, with clear standards and sound evaluation mechanisms.

Framed within the QI4CE project, supported by the Federal Republic of Germany through PTB, the Córdoba meeting lays the groundwork for a joint work agenda to be developed in the coming months, with the goal of strengthening technical trust and regional competitiveness within a more circular and inclusive economy.

About QICA

The Quality Infrastructure Council of the Americas (QICA) is the regional body that coordinates standardization, metrology, and accreditation organizations across the American continent, with the purpose of strengthening quality as a foundation for sustainable development.6