Technical Trends in ISO/IEC Joint Technical
Committee 1

3.1 Major AGs on emerging technologies

(1) Quantum Computing

A technological survey of quantum computing in JTC 1 was conducted by the Joint Advisory Group on Emerging Technology and Innovation (JETI) [5]. JETI is an SG established within JAG in August 2016 for the purpose of identifying potential new standardization items to be addressed by JTC 1. After the JTC 1 Lahaina Plenary, JETI was reorganized as an AG just under JTC 1. JETI has defined 15 areas of top priority technology, and most recently identified 4 of those technology areas (digital twin technology, autonomous vehicles, quantum computing, and brain computer interfaces) as important emerging technologies.

In October 2018, JETI summarized a report called the Technology Trend Report (TTR), which included the results of a survey on quantum computing technology, the status of standardization activities on quantum computing in several standardization organizations, and a proposal to JTC 1. In response to this TTR, NBs including China and the US submitted contributions indicating that an SG for quantum computing should be created. The creation of the SG was decided at the JTC 1 Stockholm Plenary and renamed AG at the JTC 1 Lahaina Plenary.

This AG is chaired by Hong Yang (China), and its Terms of Reference (ToR) are listed in Table 1. The duration of this AG is through the May 2020 JTC 1 Plenary.

Table 1. Examples of AGs for emerging technologies.

(2) Data Usage

The establishment of this AG (formerly SG) was proposed by an Australian contribution (Data Sharing Framework) submitted for the JTC 1 Stockholm Plenary. This contribution proposed to JTC 1 to consider data sharing and smart services.

Regarding this contribution, several opinions were put forward at the JTC 1 Stockholm Plenary that many SCs including SC 27 (security) and SC 38 (cloud computing) are concerned with data utilization, and this topic should be studied within JTC 1. It was raised by many countries, and the establishment of an SG (currently AG) was resolved.

This AG is chaired by Donald Deutsch (US), and its ToR is in Table 1. The duration of this AG is through the May 2020 JTC 1 Plenary.

(3) Trustworthiness

Although there is no established definition for trustworthiness, it often means “reliability in a wide sense” including safety, security, privacy, reliability (in a narrow sense), and resilience. As indicated in Table 2, there are different definitions of trustworthiness (trustworthy) among standards developing organizations.

Table 2. Different definitions of trustworthiness.

In June 2018, ISO/IEC JTC 1 SC 41 (Internet of Things) raised an issue to JAG that the definition of trustworthiness should be considered at the JTC 1 level. A JAG Group on Trustworthiness was subsequently established at the JAG Toronto Meeting in August 2018. This group was reorganized as an SG directly under JTC 1 following the termination of the JAG Meeting and renamed an AG according to the resolution of the JTC 1 Lahaina Plenary.

This AG is chaired by Walter Fumy (Germany), and its ToR is indicated in Table 1. The duration of this AG is through the May 2020 JTC 1 Plenary.

(4) Digital Twin

In March 2019, JETI summarized a TTR on digital twin technology, which included the status of standardization activities on digital twin technology in several standardization organizations, and a proposal to JTC 1. This proposal requests that JTC 1 begin Digital Twin standardization, with the scope to include principles, overall framework, reference model, and reference architecture of Digital Twin, interoperability of Digital Twin, and application specific standardization in the work scope of JTC 1. In response to this TTR, the creation of the AG was decided at the JTC 1 Lahaina Plenary.

This AG is chaired by Sha Wei (China), and its ToR is also indicated in Table 1. The duration of this AG is through the November 2020 JTC 1 Plenary.

3.2 Post-Plenary activities in Japan NB

This section introduces Japan’s activities after the JTC 1 Stockholm Plenary. In December 2018, the Information Technology Standards Commission of Japan (ITSCJ), corresponding to a Japanese mirror committee of ISO/IEC JTC 1 [6], established the JTC 1 Subgroup Subcommittee. This subcommittee comprehensively addresses the issues that the AGs are required to participate in as the NB. This subcommittee shares deliberations of each AG and discusses how to deal with AGs. If necessary, this subcommittee is ready to appoint experts to address the specific AGs and establish ad-hoc organizations for them. Japanese companies and organizations other than the members of this subcommittee are also interested in the emerging technology issues of data usage and trustworthiness. ITSCJ therefore established an ad-hoc organization for data usage and trustworthiness.