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EURAMET workshop supports JRP partners to maximise impact from their research

Delivering impact for end users is a key feature of the Joint Research Projects (JRPs) supported by EURAMET's European Metrology Research Programmes, EMRP and EMPIR. To support project partners in this task, the EURAMET Management Support Unit ran a one-day workshop focused on sharing best practice among the JRP community.

Over 60 project partners from National Metrology Institutes and Designated Institutes across Europe - including the Czech Republic, Germany and Sweden - attended the meeting, held on 11 November 2015 at NPL in Teddington, UK. After a few opening words from EURAMET's Past-Chairperson, Kamal Hossain (NPL, UK), the day began with an overview of the importance of generating impact and how to design and deliver effective impact work packages.

The second part of the day focused on maximising uptake of project outputs through engagement with the standards community. Speakers emphasised the long timescales involved in standards development and the need to strengthen relationships with the standards community, as well as fully understand the development process, in order to target a specific activity where a research project can make a difference.

In the final session, project coordinators shared their experiences of working with the telecoms and energy sectors, and large companies, as well as the process of protecting intellectual property. Oswin Kerkhof (VSL, the Netherlands), coordinator of EMRP projects 'Metrology for Liquefied Natural Gas' (ENG03) and 'Metrological support for LNG custody transfer and transport fuel applications' (ENG60), told the audience, "Impact does not roll out automatically from your project. It takes hard work." Oswin advised building close relationships with industrial contacts, to find out their drivers and problems, and suggested that project partners consider allocating a significant proportion of their budget to the impact work package.

Andrew Lewis (NPL, UK), coordinator of EMRP project 'Large volume metrology in industry' (IND53), reiterated Oswin's advice, "Don't design a research project and then look for who needs the results. Do it the other way around." Andrew spoke of his interaction with project collaborators Airbus and Boeing, and stressed the importance of early engagement with industry - ideally, a couple of years before the project has even begun.

Capturing the underlying theme of the day, David Humphreys (NPL, UK), coordinator of EMRP project 'Metrology for optical and RF communication systems' (IND51), said, "They know their business, your expertise is measurement - together you can solve real-world problems."