by Brianna Crandall — July 1, 2011—The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) and the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I²SL) have signed a memorandum of understanding outlining plans to collaborate as partners in promoting FM education, credentials and research for sustainable laboratories and related high-technology facilities.
The agreement calls for a two-year period of collaboration where both parties will:
- Commit to work together to promote good FM practices, education and research and magnify the importance of facilities management as it relates to sustainable laboratories and related high-technology facilities;
- Evaluate their existing educational programs and credentials to identify potential joint offerings;
- Actively participate in each organization’s FM conferences;
- Offer facilities-related knowledge and benchmarking information about sustainable laboratories and related high-technology facilities to each other’s members; and
- Look for opportunities for greater networking and collaboration between the members of each organization.
- Evaluate their existing educational programs and credentials to identify potential joint offerings;
IFMA supports more than 19,500 professional facilities managers in 78 countries. The association’s members, represented in 125 chapters and 16 councils worldwide, manage more than 37 billion square feet of property and annually purchase more than $100 billion in products and services. Formed in 1980, IFMA certifies facilities managers, conducts research, provides educational programs, and produces the World Workplace FM conference and exposition.
I²SL is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization committed to promoting the development and exchange of sustainable planning, design, engineering, and operational practices for laboratories and related high-technology facilities around the world. I²SL is also the Laboratories for the 21st Century (Labs21) conference and workshop international representative and cosponsor, along with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy.
