About EMPIR

The European Metrology Programme for Innovation and Research (EMPIR) has been developed as an integrated part of Horizon 2020, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.

Horizon 2020 aims to reinforce and extend the excellence of the EU's science base and to consolidate the European Research Area in order to make the research and innovation system more competitive on a global scale.

The EMPIR calls, launched between 2014 and 2020, have an allocated total budget of 600 M €, with 300 M € from the participating states and up to 300 M € from the European Commission using Article 185 of the European Treaty.

EMPIR Joint Research Projects (JRPs) from these calls will focus on priority areas, known as Targeted Programmes (TPs), to address the EU's Grand Challenges in Health, Energy, Environment and Industry, and to progress fundamental measurement science.

Health
The Health TPs will address more reliable, comparable and efficient use of diagnostic and therapeutic methods, the development of new techniques to improve healthcare, limit costs, foster the competitiveness of related European industries and services and the underpinning for regulation.


Energy
The Energy TPs will provide improvements needed to support the stability of the energy system through anticipating variations in supply and demand, reducing barriers to trade and barriers to the introduction of various types of energy into the distribution system. It will also support the transformation of gas and electricity networks into 'smart networks'.


Environment
The Environment TPs will focus on research for robust and stable measurement for monitoring the climate and research into innovative new systems and technologies that precisely attest environmental impacts.


Industry
The Industry TPs will aim to develop novel instrumentation and methods up to a pre-commercial stage. These innovations will improve the competitiveness of European industry and lead to increased economic turnover.


Fundamental Metrology
The Fundamental TPs will see European metrology institutes working closely with universities and other research institutions to bring European measurement science to an internationally leading position.


Standardisation
The pre- and co-normative TPs will provide timely metrology research to underpin the quality and help accelerate the development of a draft European or International standards. Metrology research will help those who develop and rely on documentary standards to:

  • enhance industrial competitiveness
  • enable and enhance trade opportunities for new emerging products, services and technologies
  • support quality of life issues (climate change, environment, health care, consumer protection) through scientific rigour in support of regulation

Capacity Building
Research Potential TPs will underpin the coherent, efficient, sustainable and integrated development of a European metrology capacity landscape through joint research projects designed to build capacity for research in less developed NMIs and DIs.


Dissemination
Support for Impact Projects (SIPs) aim to further exploit the outputs of completed Joint Research Projects (JRPs). SIPs encourage uptake of results to generate impact outside the metrology community, whether it be through contribution to documentary standards and regulatory processes, or the transfer of knowledge or technology to commercial businesses to support innovation.

The expectation of calls over the life of the programme is shown below

YearCall
2014Industry JRPs
2015Health JRPs & SI JRPs
2016Environment JRPs & Energy JRPs
2017Fundamental JRPs & Industry JRPs
2018Health JRPs & SI JRPs
2019Environment JRPs & Energy JRPs
2020Fundamental JRPs & Industry JRPs

In addition there will be at least 6 calls for pre-normative JRPs, at least 4 calls for Research Potential JRPs and an annual call for Support for Impact projects.


International Cooperation
EMPIR will formally encourage participation in the programme by the international metrology community with the dual aim of bringing in wider metrology expertise and facilitating take up and impact from metrology research. Implementing major changes in the world metrology system, made possible through research, requires international consensus.

EMPIR Participating States

AustriaEstoniaItalySlovakia
BelgiumFinlandNetherlandsSlovenia
Bosnia and HerzegovinaFranceNorwaySpain
BulgariaGermanyPolandSweden
CroatiaGreecePortugalSwitzerland
Czech RepublicHungaryRomaniaTurkey
DenmarkIrelandSerbiaUnited Kingdom

EMPIR Participant Portal

Visit the EMPIR Participant Portal to:

  • see the current plan for calls in EMPIR
  • submit ideas for metrology research in response to a Stage 1 Call
  • submit project proposals in response to a Stage 2 or SIP Call
  • register as an expert to help EURAMET evaluate proposals
  • read guides to the call, evaluation, negotiation and reporting processes