Biobanks currently play an increasing key role in biomedical research, as biomedical research makes use of the clinical information associated with their maintained biological samples. 

So, it is essential that the service they provide guarantees technical competence in managing, receiving, processing, storing and transferring samples, as they play a key role in both research and development in healthcare, agri-food or pharmaceutical areas.

Therefore, accreditation under the ISO 20387 standards provides professionals in the different application fields with the necessary confidence, as it is the tool established internationally to demonstrate, among others, that these organizations are technically competent and therefore reliable.

Are accreditation and ISO 9001 certification the same?

No. If a biobank is accredited under ISO 20387 standard, it has demonstrated to the corresponding accreditation body (ENAC in Spain) that it carries out its activities with the necessary technical competence and developing the adequate management system to ensure a consistent service over time. Instead, ISO 9001 certification refers only to the organisation’s quality management system and its demonstration to a certification body.

Benefits of accreditation

+ Product and service safety
+ Legal security
+ Prestige
+ Savings and efficiency
+ Markets
+ Access to public procurement