News

May 20 is World Metrology Day, commemorating the anniversary of the signing of the Metre Convention in 1875. This treaty provides the basis for a coherent measurement system worldwide. The theme chosen for 2015 is Measurements and Light.

This year, World Metrology Day is aligned with the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies proclaimed by the General Assembly of the UN and organized by UNESCO. Events in 2015 will celebrate the central role of light to life, whether as a source of energy, as the basis for photonic technologies or as being a source of wonder and excitement. Metrology, the science and application of measurement, plays a central role in enabling the application and advancement of light-based technologies, whether for more efficient energy production, a better understanding of climate change, or optimal lighting of our cities and towns. In turn, light is at the heart of many of the most important new elements of leading-edge measurement technologies.

Across the world, national metrology institutes continually advance measurement science by developing and validating new measurement techniques at whatever level of sophistication is needed. They also participate in comparisons coordinated by the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) to ensure the reliability of measurement results worldwide.

Many measuring instruments are controlled by law or are subject to regulatory control, for example the scales used to weigh goods in a shop, instruments to measure environmental pollution, or meters used to bill energy. The International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) develops international Recommendations, the aim of which is to align and harmonize requirements for these types of instruments worldwide.

World Metrology Day recognizes and celebrates the contribution of all the people that work in intergovernmental and national organizations throughout the year on behalf of all.

In an interview Marek Smid, Chair of EURAMET's Technical Committee for Photometry and Radiometry, talks about the importance of metrology for light-based technologies and EURAMET's contribution to that field.

Find out more on www.worldmetrologyday.org and www.light2015.org