EN
The companies of automotive industry has always shown a particular interest the issue of quality management systems. The consequence of the process of universalisation of quality systems in the automotive industry was to develop a single standard. A single reference model led to define Technical Specification (TS) 16949 by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) aimed at representing a comprehensive quality management system for the global automotive industry. This paper studies the global evolution and diffusion of this technical specification, observing its impact on local economies. The findings are supported by empirical data.