UNI - Italian Organization for Standardization - is a private non-profit association whose more than 7000 members include companies, freelance professionals, associations, scientific and academic institutions, and bodies connected to the public administration.
UNI carries out standardization activities in all industrial, commercial and tertiary sectors, with the exception of the electrical and electrotechnical sectors which are the competence of the Italian Electrotechnical Committee, CEI.

The role of UNI was recognised by European Directive 83/189/EEC of March 1983, implemented in Italy with Law no. 317 of 21 June 1986. UNI represents Italy in participating in the activities of supranational standardization organizations: ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and CEN (Comité Européen de Normalisation).

UNI was founded in 1921 under the title “UNIM” in order to meet the requirements of the mechanical engineering industry to standardize production types, facilitate interchangeability of parts, and so forth.
Since that time standardization has assumed increasing importance in Italy's economic framework: already in 1928 Italian industry confederation Confindustria acknowledged the fundamental role of the organization for the economy, and promoted its extension to cover all industrial sectors; this led to the formal transformation of the organization, and the final letter “M” of the name was subsequently dropped to leave the current title.

UNI's organizational structure reflects the typical setup of an association. The administrative bodies are as follows:

• the General Assembly of Members, composed of businesses, scientific and educational institutions, professionals and State bodies;
• the Board of Directors, composed of the members elected by the General Assembly and representatives of full members (government ministries, CNR, business associations, Associated Bodies);
• the Executive Board;
• the President.

The primary competencies of UNI in its institutional role are as follows:

• to prepare standards that are developed by technical bodies assisted by all the interested parties, thereby ensuring the necessary characteristics of transparency and consensuality;
• to represent Italy in worldwide (ISO) and European (CEN) standardization activities, to promote harmonization of standards on a supranational level and facilitate trading in products and services;
• to publish and disseminate technical standards and related documents both directly and through UNI's nationwide information and documentation centres (UNI Points), and also over the Internet.

In addition to providing an important point of focus between the national and international economic and cultural scenario, UNI is also a meeting point between different spheres of activity, including the world of business, research institutions, public administrations and consumers.
This position is the ideal vantage point from which to consolidate a web of interrelations and acquire cultural and informational values of key importance for society at large.
Against this background UNI also fulfils the following roles:

• collaboration with the standardization organizations of other countries to promote the interests of Italian companies in their commercial relations;
• dissemination of the culture of standardization through training courses, organization and participation in conventions and trade exhibitions, publication of technical - informative documents, and through specific UNI communication channels.