The Mauritian road to a sophisticated technical infrastructure

摘要

The economic development of a country is intricately linked with the evolution of its standardization infrastructure, commonly known as the technical infrastructure. This is generally segmented into three components, namely metrology/ measurement, standards development and conformity assessment. The demand for these services depends largely upon the level of economic sophistication while the mode of its delivery (supply) is tributary to the model of technical infrastructure preferred and adopted by policymakers. The Republic of Mauritius -considered as a developing country -has been successful in setting up a fairly sophisticated technical infrastructure. This comprises a Legal Metrology Division responsible for calibration of weights and measures used in trade, an Accreditation Service (Mauritas) mandated to accredit laboratories and certification bodies, among others, and the Mauritius Standards.