May 19, 2026 — Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has achieved ISO 14001:2015 certification for its fire technology, pharmaceutical development, analytical and environmental chemistry, and chemical engineering research areas. The internationally recognized environmental management framework supports proactive systems and operations to reduce emissions and protect the environment.
“While we already had many of the systems in place required to meet this accreditation, we took the important next step of formalizing it,” said Karen Martinez, director of SwRI’s Fire Technology Department. “The ISO 14001 accreditation should give our clients peace of mind knowing we’re doing everything possible to protect our community and environment.”
To achieve this expanded third-party certification, SwRI’s quality assurance team worked for two years to train staff to maintain proper documentation and adhere to the standard before undergoing external audits. SwRI’s automotive engineering research activities had previously received ISO 14001:2015 certification.
“At SwRI, stewardship is one of our core values. We already maintain strict systems to prevent air and water pollution during our operations,” said Colby Tate, a manager on SwRI’s quality assurance team. “The rigorous process for obtaining certification gives our clients one more reason to work with us.”
Conformance to ISO 14001:2015 requires compliance with both external and internal rules, regulations and permits regarding environmental aspects with an emphasis on continual improvement along with regular audits by ISO-certified bodies.
“SwRI’s fire testing activities use a customized pollution abatement system to capture smoke and other toxic particulates, keeping them out of the air we breathe. This system is crucial to our fire testing and a big part of how we achieved this ISO accreditation,” said Martinez.
For more information visit Fire Research & Engineering, Pharmaceutical Development or Chemistry & Chemical Engineering or contact Camaron Brooks, +1 210 522 2357, Communications Department, Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78238-5166.