Towards future SI measurement standards

Reliable measurements are essential in all areas of modern life, from the global challenges of sustainable energy, delivering high quality healthcare and protecting the environment to the legal and regulatory framework that underpins international trade. All depend on traceability to the international system of units (SI) which must evolve to match the world’s increasing demands for greater measurement accuracy. This requires research, performed in National Measurement Institutes (NMI), to support the SI’s development and extension to cover new and existing measurement methods.

Europe is home to some of the World’s leading measurement Institutes and these play a key role in the international measurement system; defining, realising and disseminating the SI. NMI collaboration in Euramet programmes, EMRP and EMPIR, enables pooling of resources to extend and disseminate the SI to user communities. Projects in the EMRP Open Excellence theme on quantum technologies and EMPIR Fundamental themes are enabling focused measurement research for future-proofing the SI.

 

 

The first EMRP SI Broader scope theme conducted research to support the proposed redefinition of the SI units of temperature, mass, time and electric current – the kelvin, kilogram, second and ampere, and to improve the SI traceability of measurements important for industry and healthcare. Highlights are available here.

The second EMRP SI Broader scope performed developmental research to help prepare the SI units to meet the future measurement needs of industry and society. SI unit research focused on electronics and communications, and also promoting increased measurement traceability, standardisation, and regulatory compliance in a selection of key application areas. Highlights are available here.

First SI Impact Report

The report outlines the key technical achievements and early impacts of the first group of projects completed under the EMRP SI Broader Scope theme and also projects from the Open Excellence theme. The report details the progress made towards developing the SI to meet the future measurements needs of industry and society.  

Download the report

Second SI Impact Report

The report outlines the key technical achievements and early impacts of the second group of projects completed under the second EMRP SI Broader Scope theme. The report details the progress made towards further developing the SI to meet the future measurements needs of industry and society.  

Download the report