CEM International

CEM International is a United Kingdom-based conformity assessment organisation holding UKCA Approved Body designation number 1942, accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) and approved by the relevant UK government departments. Headquartered in Farnborough, Hampshire, the company provides professional certification, inspection, and conformity assessment services to manufacturers, importers, product designers, and UK product representatives seeking market access in Great Britain. Its mandate covers a broad range of product categories and the organisation operates as a coordinated one-stop resource for regulatory compliance across multiple UK product safety legislative frameworks.

CEM International holds Approved Body status under the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, the UK instrument governing the placing on the market and putting into service of powered equipment with moving parts, whether driven electrically, pneumatically, hydraulically, or by other means. For products listed in Annex IV of those Regulations that are not manufactured in full accordance with designated harmonised standards, CEM carries out complete Type Examination and issues conformity certificates. Where designated standards are applied in full, CEM provides Technical File Lodging, offering 15 years of secure, acknowledged document storage from the date of last manufacture and keeping clients informed of revisions to referenced standards throughout the certification lifecycle.

As an Approved Body under the Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations 2016—the UK successor to EU Directive 2014/30/EU—CEM International evaluates any apparatus whose electromagnetic performance is measurable, confirming that products neither generate unacceptable electromagnetic disturbance nor are susceptible to interference levels that would impair intended function. CEM also acts as an Approved Body under the Radio Equipment Regulations 2017, providing conformity assessment for wireless devices and radio equipment against essential requirements relating to efficient use of the radio spectrum, electromagnetic compatibility, and electrical safety for the full scope of products placed on the UK market following the post-Brexit regulatory transition.

Under the Construction Products Regulations 2011, CEM International is recognised as an Approved Body for construction materials and building-related goods, including household appliances, destined for the UK market. Across all regulatory frameworks it covers, CEM can engage clients at any stage of the product lifecycle: from early design review involving inputs, outputs, verification, and validation; through manufacturing process and factory production control audits; to installation, commissioning checks, and end-of-service assessments. Gap analysis between existing documentation and applicable regulations, on-site prototype inspections, and document review are among the specific activities offered as part of each conformity assessment engagement.

Although CEM International is primarily a certification and inspection body rather than a physical test house, it maintains relationships with affiliated testing laboratories and facilities in the UK, EU, and Far East capable of generating the empirical test evidence required to underpin compliance with applicable UK and EU product standards. This integrated network allows clients to obtain both test data and the conformity assessment certificate through a single coordinated engagement, reducing administrative and logistical burden. The result is a streamlined path from prototype evaluation to certified product, with testing and assessment resources matched to each client's specific regulatory and commercial requirements.

A key differentiator for CEM International is its subsidiary in the Republic of Ireland, which holds Notified Body status (Notified Body No. 2845) for CE marking under European Single Market rules. Manufacturers requiring both UKCA marking for the UK market and CE marking for EU member states can access combined certification services through the CEM group, avoiding the cost and complexity of engaging two separate approved or notified bodies. Allied conformity assessment organisations across multiple jurisdictions are integrated into the CEM service network, further broadening the scope of testing, inspection, and certification that can be coordinated on behalf of a client.

CEM International also extends its regulatory expertise to government market surveillance bodies, supporting domestic and overseas public institutions in interpreting legislative and standard requirements and organising necessary testing or inspection activities for market oversight purposes. Partner third-party conformity assessment organisations can collaborate with CEM to extend their own service scope to include UKCA marking, with CEM providing ongoing legislative and standards intelligence, shared assessor competency frameworks, and formal training. Training courses and regulatory seminars tailored to specific client sectors and product types are available to manufacturers, importers, consultancy organisations, and the public.

With UKAS-accredited Approved Body authority spanning machinery safety, electromagnetic compatibility, radio equipment, and construction products—combined with CE Notified Body capability in Ireland and affiliated testing resources across three regions—CEM International is a credible, multi-jurisdictional compliance partner for manufacturers navigating the divergent post-Brexit requirements of the UK and European markets. Its multilingual service delivery in English and Mandarin Chinese, and its structured engagement model covering every phase from product design to end-of-life, make it particularly well-suited to Far East manufacturers, UK importers, and product designers bringing goods to the British market for the first time.