End of year message from Matt Gantley

Reflecting on 2025: thirty years of UKAS

As we reach the close of 2025, I would like to reflect on a year of significance for UKAS, and to thank our customers, partners and stakeholders for the collaboration, challenge and trust you have shown us throughout the year.

This has been UKAS’s 30th anniversary year. That milestone has prompted not only celebration, but also reflection on why a national accreditation body matters today. Over the past three decades, accreditation has become an essential part of the UK’s national capability – underpinning trust in standards, supporting effective regulation, strengthening supply chains and contributing to public safety, health and wellbeing. In a world shaped by globalised markets, increasingly complex technologies and heightened societal expectations, those foundations of trust and competence have never been more important.

During the year, I have been particularly struck by how consistently this message has been reinforced through engagement with customers and international peers. From discussions with accredited organisations here in the UK, to international meetings in Korea and Japan, a common theme has emerged: confidence in conformity assessment systems is critical to economic resilience and international cooperation. Accreditation is not simply a technical exercise; it is part of the infrastructure that allows innovation, trade and regulation to function effectively.

This anniversary year has also challenged UKAS to evolve. Insights from customers, partners and international colleagues have sharpened our focus on digitalisation, artificial intelligence, sustainability and the growing interdependence of global assurance systems. Developments such as the UK government’s AI roadmap, our engagement with the AI Quality Infrastructure initiative, and the establishment of new relationships – including with the forensics regulator and through memoranda of understanding with bodies such as KENAS and NATA – all point to a future where collaboration, knowledge sharing and international alignment will be even more important.

Looking ahead, the assurance landscape itself is changing. Major standards, including ISO/IEC 17020, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, are progressing through revision. These updates signal a clear direction of travel: greater emphasis on risk, resilience, ethical considerations, sustainability and the effective use of data and technology. For UKAS, remaining ahead of these changes means continuing to combine technical rigour with adaptability, ensuring that accreditation remains relevant, trusted and fit for purpose.

As these standards transition, our role is to support organisations through change with clarity and consistency. Through the UKAS Academy, strengthened international collaboration and close engagement with stakeholders, we are focused on providing guidance that is proportionate, practical and grounded in the principles that have always underpinned accreditation: independence, competence and impartiality. Evolution is necessary, but it must be built on continuity of purpose.

From my engagement with industry, I see real opportunities to bridge gaps between what organisations increasingly need from accreditation and what the global conformity assessment system currently provides. These include clearer assurance in emerging technologies, better alignment across borders, and more visible contribution to public outcomes such as safety, environmental protection and wellbeing. UKAS has a leading role to play here, convening expertise, shaping best practice and reinforcing confidence at national and international levels.

If I look five years ahead, success for UKAS would mean more than operational performance alone. It would mean being recognised as a cornerstone of the UK’s quality infrastructure, a trusted partner internationally, and a positive force in the future of the quality profession. It would mean continuing to protect the public interest while enabling innovation and growth.

As we bring this anniversary year to a close, I would like to thank everyone who has worked with us during 2025. I wish you a restful break over the festive period, and I look forward to continuing our work together in the year ahead, with confidence, but also with the care and thoughtfulness that the challenges before us demand.