World’s oldest accreditation body passes its latest APAC evaluation and continues to be at the forefront of accreditation with an expanded scope of recognition to include Biobanking
25 August, Sydney, Australia – The National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) today confirms it has become the second accreditation body to be internationally recognised for accreditation of Biobanking facilities to the international standard ISO 20387.
The recognition came as a result of NATA’s four-yearly evaluation/assessment against ISO/IEC 17011 by the Asia-Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC), for continuation of its signatory status in the APAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA).
NATA was the world’s first accreditation body and a benchmark for the over 100 accreditation bodies worldwide. This news further solidifies NATA’s position as a global leader in the field of accreditation.
It also highlights NATA’s commitment to Australia’s biobanking industry, through the accreditation of facilities that operate in accordance with the international standard for biobanks, ISO 20387, and demonstrate competence, capability and reliability in their activities.
Jennifer Evans, NATA CEO stated: “We are extremely proud to be recognised by APAC as one of the few accreditation bodies worldwide offering accreditation for Biobanks that is recognised under a mutual recognition arrangement.
“As the world moves towards a greater exchange of biological material and scientific information at a global level, accreditation of Biobanks under mutual recognition arrangements such as the APAC MRA will be crucial to ensure that there is an internationally recognised framework underpinning the reliability and trustworthiness of that material and data,” Ms Evans added.
Biobanks are facilities that undertake the collection, storage and distribution of biological materials and associated data from humans, animal and plants. They are crucial in supporting research in human, animal and plant health.
By offering accreditation in this field, NATA aims to enhance the quality and reliability of biobanking services, like Biobanking Victoria, ultimately benefiting researchers, healthcare professionals, and the wider community.
In addition to this expanded accreditation scope, NATA will continue to maintain its signatory status for several other APAC MRA scopes, including Calibration (ISO/IEC 17025), Inspection (ISO/IEC 17020), Medical Testing (ISO 15189), PTP (ISO/IEC 17043), RMP (ISO 17034), and Testing (ISO/IEC 17025).
This reaffirms NATA’s expertise and competence across a wide range of disciplines, as the body remains the national accreditation body with its MoU with the Commonwealth of Australia, along with agreements with other State Government agencies.
The APAC evaluation also highlighted NATA’s commitment to continuous improvement and quality assurance. The result of the evaluation conducted, by APAC, also confirmed that NATA will undergo its next re-evaluation by March 2027, within the standard four-year period.
This demonstrates NATA’s dedication to maintaining its high standards and ensuring ongoing excellence, reinforcing its position as the trusted accreditation service provider in this country.
“This achievement is a testament to the dedication and expertise of our team, as well as our commitment to providing reliable and trustworthy accreditation services for all of our members and stakeholders, and giving the Australian public confidence in the products and services we use every day,” Evans concluded.
With a commitment to continuous improvement and adherence to international standards, NATA continues to lead the way in delivering quality and excellence. Through its assessment framework of using of subject matter experts (technical assessors) NATA relies on a peer-review model; it promotes benchmarking against current best practices, ensuring not just reliability and trust in testing and calibration services but that accreditation process in Australia will always remain contemporary, now and into the future.
For more information about NATA and its accreditation services, please visit www.nata.com.au.