Product Testing
Safe living and consumption
Consumers are experiencing it first-hand: Digitalization and globalization in the retail sector are increasingly leading to higher expectations on consumer products. And those expectations do not solely affect quality and price; products – especially digital and interconnected products – must also be absolutely safe. A 2023 study by the DIN Consumer Council in Germany found that a manufacturer-independent test mark is an important factor in purchasing decisions and that consumers are willing to pay more for safety.
Source: DIN Consumer Council
DEKRA tests the safety of consumer products in respect of their conformity with applicable regulations and standards. Manufacturers around the world trust the experience, methods, and technology deployed by the experts in our organization. What started as just mechanical and electrical testing now encompasses a broad spectrum of digital testing procedures, for wireless technology and cybersecurity for example.
Electrical safety
DEKRA’s facility at Arnhem in the Netherlands has been testing the electrical safety of devices for many years. Its expertise is based on the experience of KEMA Quality B.V., which DEKRA acquired in 2009. Many products still bear the KEMA-KEUR mark today; since 2021 it has been supplemented with the DEKRA Mark.
Electromagnetic compatibility
With the number of electrical products on the market growing, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is gaining in importance. That is why, as early as 2020, DEKRA expanded capacity at the laboratory at its headquarters in Stuttgart, in which it tests e-bikes and e-scooters for conformity with current standards.
Cybersecurity
In 2024 DEKRA awarded the first DEKRA Type Approval (DTA) mark for cybersecurity to a video baby monitor. This product is a representative example of Internet-enabled devices (IoT) designed for use in smart homes – and as such also for the future of product testing. This will focus on the safe use of artificial intelligence alongside cybersecurity – an area in which DEKRA is already well-positioned with its services and projects.
A global partner to global brands
Thanks to decades of experience in product testing and the internationality of its organization, DEKRA is the partner of choice for global brands – as evidenced by its work on products for Apple smartphones.
Source: Statista
In our interconnected world, smartphones, cars, and other devices communicate seamlessly, shaping our everyday life more than ever before. Apple CarPlay makes it possible to use key iPhone functions such as news, music, and apps via the vehicle’s display screen, so drivers can stay connected without losing concentration on the road. Apple CarKey takes this convenience a step further, enabling drivers to use their iPhones for keyless entry and starting of their vehicles, with the ability to safely and easily share access with family and friends.
To ensure the most demanding compatibility and safety standards are met, Apple requires iPhone accessories to be certified in accordance with the “Made for iPhone” (MFi) program. DEKRA has been an authorized MFi testing partner since 2021 and operates specialist testing laboratories worldwide.
With seven locations in the USA, Europe, and Asia, the company is supporting its customers in successfully implementing Apple certification programs for CarPlay and CarKey. Thanks to DEKRA’s expertise, consumers can be confident that MFi-tested products satisfy Apple’s high standards.
Certification by DEKRA further optimizes the safety, functionality, and user-friendliness of the Apple ecosystem and makes the networked driving experience safer and more intuitive for everyone.
Lenovo is the pioneer
Alongside a smartphone, a laptop has become an indispensable part of professional and private life for many people. Lenovo is the world market leader in this segment. The Chinese producer of electronic products also depends on DEKRA’s expertise in connection with future-ready testing.
Most of us are confronted with it every day: The digital transformation has led to an increase in the frequency and complexity of cyber attacks such as malware attacks and identity theft. That is why the EU introduced the Radio Equipment Directive Delegated Act (RED DA). All manufacturers, importers, and distributors that sell wireless devices and products in the EU must satisfy RED-DA cybersecurity requirements.
A Lenovo laptop received the world’s first cybersecurity certificate of conformity with RED DA from DEKRA. This certificate underscores Lenovo’s commitment to delivering the highest cybersecurity standards to users worldwide.
RED DA certification by DEKRA validates Lenovo’s strategic decision to prioritize cybersecurity in both the design and production phases; this approach ensures the laptops can withstand cyber threats and users benefit from greater privacy and data security. For example, Lenovo’s laptops ensure that data are protected against unauthorized interception or manipulation during transmission.
Secure access to the world’s markets
Products from multinational companies such as Apple, Philips, and Lenovo are marketed worldwide. However, before they are launched on the market it must be ensured that they satisfy various regional consumer protection regulations and standards and have received the necessary test marks.
Manufacturers need global partners which are not only familiar with these regulations and standards, but also have the necessary authorization to test and certify products accordingly. DEKRA is one such partner.
DEKRA has been accelerating the internationalization of its business since the early 1990s, and today the company has certified product testing laboratories in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Global brands benefit from this world-spanning presence, with more than 30 locations in 13 countries.
We are continuously investing in new and existing locations as well as in state-of-the-art testing technologies and scenarios – for example, to develop rapidly evolving areas of testing such as connectivity, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.
Reliable conformity with standards
A new phase began in 2016, when DEKRA launched its cybersecurity activities with five experts in Malaga, Spain. Its determination to be a pioneer in this future field was underscored when it acquired Epoche & Espri in 2017; headquartered in Madrid, Spain, this company already had more than a decade of experience and expertise in relation to internationally recognized standards such as Common Criteria (CC), FIPS 140-2, and ISO/IEC 19790.
Driver of innovation and safe solutions
Today DEKRA has a team of more than 200 experts in nine laboratories, making it a key player in the field of cybersecurity. The portfolio encompasses more than 30 services for sectors such as mobility, industry, medicine, consumer products, and information technology. As an established partner to international brands, DEKRA continued to grow its cybersecurity expertise with the 2023 acquisition of Onward Security in Taiwan.
A future marked by trust in digitalization
Services for cybersecurity, functional safety, and artificial intelligence are the basis for the launch of DEKRA Digital Trust Services, which marks a new era in the company’s commitment to safety and innovation. Via DEKRA’s global network of high-tech testing and certification laboratories, customers from various sectors can obtain confirmation of their innovations from Digital Trust Services, enabling them to bring safe high-tech products and systems to market worldwide.