European metrologists shaping the future of measurements in Tallinn

TALLINN – Metrosert is hosting the annual meeting of the European Association of National Metrology Institutes' (EURAMET) Technical Committee for Mass and Related Quantities in Tallinn.

Sixty of Europe's leading measurement experts will arrive in Estonia, with over 65 additional participants following the discussions online. The meeting will establish priorities for the field's development, international comparison measurements, and the next steps in scientific cooperation.

The EURAMET technical committee deals with the measurement of mass, pressure, force, torque, density, viscosity, hardness, and gravitational acceleration.

According to Mari Aru, head of Metrosert's research and development division, the precise measurement of these quantities is crucial for, among other things, the safety of industrial equipment and energy infrastructure, the correct composition of pharmaceuticals, food quality, the fair accounting of fuel and goods, and the development of new high-tech solutions.

"Metrology is all around us, although we usually only notice it when a measurement goes wrong. From a societal perspective, the goal is simple: for the technology around us to work safely, for the amount of active ingredient in a medicine to be correct, for production processes to function stably, and for fuel and other goods to be billed for fairly. Behind all of this are reliable and internationally comparable measurements," said Mari Aru. 

National metrology institutes maintain and develop their country's most accurate measurement capabilities. In Estonia, this task is carried out by Metrosert. Having local measurement capabilities helps Estonian companies ensure product quality, certify it for foreign markets, and reduce dependence on foreign laboratories for critical measurements.

To ensure that measurements made and calibration certificates issued in Estonia are trusted in other countries, European metrology institutes regularly compare their standards, measurement capabilities, and methods. International comparison measurements show whether laboratories in different countries achieve consistent results when measuring the same quantity.

At the annual meeting in Tallinn, roadmaps for various measurement fields will be reviewed and approved, setting development priorities for the coming years. New comparison measurements and research projects will also be planned, and topics such as the digitalization of measurements and the measurement of dynamic quantities—those that change rapidly over time—will be discussed.

"The directions agreed upon in Tallinn will influence which measurement capabilities are developed in Europe in the coming years and how new methods will move from laboratories to be used by businesses. For Estonia, hosting the meeting is also a recognition of Metrosert's competence and an opportunity to participate in shaping the future of European measurement science," added Mari Aru.

The EURAMET Technical Committee for Mass and Related Quantities is one of the association's largest, comprising six subcommittees, two working groups, and approximately 30 ongoing cooperation projects. Separate discussions will be held in Tallinn on the topics of mass, pressure, force and torque, density and viscosity, hardness, and gravimetry. Participants will also tour Metrosert's national standard laboratories.

EURAMET is the European Association of National Metrology Institutes, tasked with coordinating cooperation in measurement science and ensuring the international credibility and recognition of European measurement results. The annual meetings of the technical committees are held once a year in one of EURAMET's member states.

Metrosert is Estonia's center for applied research and the central body for metrology. Metrosert maintains and develops Estonia's national standards for length, mass, temperature, and electrical quantities, and ensures their traceability to the International System of Units (SI).