Measurement science plays an integral role in scientific discovery and innovation, industrial manufacturing, international trade and in protecting the global environment. Reliable and accurate measurements are also essential for the provision of high-quality health services. Even today, the original objective of the Metre Convention, to achieve worldwide uniformity of measurement, remains just as important. That's why the global metrology community come together yearly to mark the occasion, to celebrate past achievements and create new and exciting opportunities that can better serve our stakeholders in the future.

Rapid advances of digital technologies today have a significant impact on communities across the world, and so it has become increasingly important to encourage the open and transparent exchange of information. As such, the requirements for data to be considered trustworthy are becoming more than stringent than ever before. In addition, to maximise the efficiency of information production and consumption in the digital world, all sources of information must be accessible by machines and humans alike. The vast amount of accessible and trustworthy data, generated by connected devices and objects, is a vital building block for new applications of artificial intelligence.

Digital transformation certainly creates new and inspiring opportunities for industry and wider society. But to make the most of the associated benefits, we must be able to trust data, data products and the results generated using artificial intelligence. Metrology is an essential element of the modern quality infrastructure that supports the digital transformation of Europe and the trustworthiness of digital products. Through stakeholder engagement, joint research initiatives, and collaboration within the European quality infrastructure, EURAMET is working towards its strategic objectives of ensuring the trustworthiness and quality of data in the digital world, while WELMEC is providing the legal metrology perspective to foster consumer protection and European-wide acceptance of digital transformation. 

A special joint message from the directors of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) and the International Bureau of Legal Metrology (BIML) has also been posted to expand on this year's theme. To see the full message & other information, please visit the World Metrology Day 2022 website >>

See EURAMET's official press release here >>

EMPIR project promotes ‘Digital-SI’ for measurement data

A recently completed EMPIR project, 'SmartCom' (17IND02) has made significant steps towards improving the communication and validation of smart data in Internet-of-Things (IoT) networks.

The project has developed a formal framework for the transmission of metrology data, promoted SI units for the digital communication of metrological data, and helped to form the CIPM Task Group 'Digital-SI' - which is working to further secure the harmonisation of SI units across digital applications. Last year, the project also held a workshop in association with EUROLAB, on metrology for digital transformation. 

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New software and guide on digital sensors for the Factory of the Future

Throughout European industry, we are currently witnessing the development of 'Factories of the Future' - where information and communication are fully integrated with automation technology, like robotics and artificial intelligence. An EMPIR project, 'Met4FoF', has for the first time addressed metrological questions related to the data lifecycle in practical 'Factory of the Future' scenarios - something that will enable European factories to become even more compettitve with respect to their global counterparts. 

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Results of EMPIR project receives international recognition

The 'Internet of Things' (IoT) refers to the increasing connectivity of electronic devices over the internet, such as smart fridges, security cameras, and even cars. Based on the data received by these devices, they have the potential to make decisions for you, like re-ordering milk or alerting your phone to an intruder in your household. However, IoT technologies are facing issues related to the ambiguity and incorrect interpretation of data.

EMPIR project 'SmartCom' has addressed these challenges by developing a digital communication protocol based on the SI units - the digital SI. This CODATA has also been translated into a machine-readable format that can be downloaded from PTB, and the project has additionally produced a guide on how to use digital SI units for safe, unambiguous digital transfer of metrological data.

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