Research Institutes of Sweden, RISE, has performed numerous product tests on behalf of Testfakta. RISE is run as a state-owned limited company and deals with everything from basic research to quality tests and certifications. Most customers are in the Swedish business community.
Erica Waller is unit manager at RISE Bygg och Mekanik.
What distinguishes Testfakta compared to other customers you work for?
- Normally we work under secrecy with our customers, but for Testfakta's assignments, the opposite is true: openness and transparency. It is also not uncommon for the results to make headlines on the news site.
- Basically, we believe that an open discussion about the results is good because they in turn drive the manufacturers' product development, which ultimately benefits consumers. For example, they get safer products.
What do you contribute besides the pure test steps?
- Independence is one of RISE's core values. This is also what we mainly contribute, not least in the impartial analysis. Otherwise, Testfakta is like any other customer, the difference is the openness to the outside world.
Are there any trends in consumer testing, and if so, how does it affect your business?
- A long-term trend that has been going on for a while is that an increasing proportion of the products consumed in Sweden have been produced abroad. Among other things, this has meant that it has become more difficult for consumers to distinguish between different labels. For example, there are labels that are almost confusingly similar to the CE mark, without guaranteeing that the products are safety tested. There are also examples of purely dangerous products in certain product areas. At the same time, we see how many standards have been improved through the harmonization of regulations and standards that is taking place in, for example, the EU area.