In 1999, a critical period of state-owned enterprises’ reform and China's economic restructuring, Shanghai Electric Tools Research Institute, which is directly affiliated to the Ministry of Machine-Building Industry, set up its wholly owned NOA Group. NOA, one of the earliest third-party service organizations engaged in inspection, testing and certification in China, is committed to improving human beings’ living environment and quality as well as building forward awareness of technical services in China.
Since its establishment, NOA has been thinking deeply on product quality and quality assurance of products made in China. Upholding its principles, the group obtained the accredited qualification from China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS) in 2002, becoming one of the first third-party certification service organizations obtaining the accreditation qualification by CNAS. After completing institutional restructuring in 2013, NOA officially transformed into an independent third-party service institution that went to the market, and it also gained the recognition of CNAS, ANSI and ANAB.
Up until now, NOA has three shareholding inspection and certification organizations, two shareholding inspection and certification organizations which are Sino-foreign joint ventures, a European (Dutch) comprehensive certification organization. It also has four comprehensive business departments, seven domestic branches, and over 1000 staff.
NOA not only actively promotes the establishment and pilot work of the voluntary certification system of "Shanghai Quality", but also participates in pilot work of the upgraded version of quality management system certification, thus making it win the title of “Shanghai New-and High-tech Enterprise". NOA improves itself in change and practice, and starts a new journey for China’s local quality assurance service organizations. By comprehensively promoting the transformation and upgrading of “Made in China” to “Chinese Made with Quality”, NOA lays a solid foundation for quality to turn itself into a global leading quality assurance service provider.
Through decades’ effort, NOA’s customers are widespread in the world, including world top 100 enterprises and industries’ leaders. NOA has upgraded its service system in an all-round way, and developed certification services for countries such as Russia, Spain, and the Netherlands. In the future, NOA, with a base in Shanghai, will make efforts to spread the concept of quality assurance service to more countries and regions.