Planning the European Research Area in Metrology

Project Description

The objective of this project was to enable considered reasoning of the issues raised by the EUROMET strategy for closer collaboration and the implications for metrology of the EC European Research Area (ERA) initiative.

The project:

Built on the EUROMET strategy by focusing dialogue between NMIs (and their policy /funding Government Departments where appropriate) on the issues associated with closer European NMI cooperation in metrology.

Considered the policy and practical implications for the European NMIs of a European Research Area in metrology R&D and associated service delivery.

Made a series of recommendations to the NMI community, their ministries and the European Commission.

The project partners were a subset of EUROMET members, but all members were invited to be involved in the process, including the workshops. The ten workpackages were:

State-of-the-art review of relevant collaborative activity;

Identification of future trends for metrology research;

Metrology infrastructure scenarios and decision tool development allowing areas and degree of cooperation to be identified;

National Metrology Institute Workshop – involving the NMIs from across Europe, addressing issues, elaborating scenarios and presenting models and research trends;

National review of structures and priorities for collaboration taking due account of national industrial need and issues that hinder greater collaboration;

An stakeholder consultation at European level to ascertain the end user perspective on potential structural changes in the metrology infrastructure;

A consultation to ascertain the Newly Associated States (Accession Countries) perspective on potential structural changes in the metrology infrastructure;

A summary of the findings from the national, stakeholder and Newly Associated States consultations;

European Research Area Workshop – proposing metrology infrastructure options and research priorities, identifying actions to overcome hurdles;

Foresight Report and dissemination – summarising and justifying the conclusions of the project, and providing recommendations and roadmap for selected scenarios.

The MERA project has identified the key issues related to increased collaboration and made appropriate recommendations, specifically to move to an implementation phase focused around increased collaboration in R&D. The final report is available. The objective of this project is to enable considered reasoning of the issues raised by the EUROMET strategy for closer collaboration and the implications for metrology of the EC European Research Area (ERA) initiative.

It is intended to

Build on the EUROMET strategy by focusing dialogue between NMIs (and possibly their policy /funding Government Departments where appropriate) on the issues associated with closer European NMI cooperation in metrology.

Consider the policy and practical implications for the European NMIs of a European Research Area in metrology including RTDI (research, technological development and innovation) and associated service delivery.

Propose an outline “road map” that would utilize the new EU Framework Programme as a catalyst for implementing the EUROMET strategy.

And provide an evaluation of the possible scenarios taking due account:

that the EUROMET Strategy calls for closer European collaboration in metrology research and associated activities;

that new and emerging areas of metrology will require significant research and investments in metrological infrastructures whilst services (and supporting research) have to be maintained in traditional areas, thus the release of resources through a more rational approach to research and exploitation should be explored, but recognizing the risk of such rationalization being viewed solely as cost cutting exercise by the funding bodies;

that whilst closer research collaboration, specialization and devolution to optimize impact and ensure critical mass in research is attractive in principle there are many practical difficulties for nationally funded laboratories that make this closer collaboration difficult;

that the need for effective local service delivery should be respected;

that in certain key areas collaboration may not be appropriate;

that the ERA represents a significant shift of policy that potentially impacts on national as well as European funding for metrology, and that the possibilities for such funding in FP6 is as yet unknown.

The project will address all these issues, initially by consulting NMIs (ensuring the process is transparent, open, inclusive and coherent) and through them their government policy/funding bodies) and making recommendations related to the EUROMET, the NMIs, the national funding agents and the European Commission.

Further Information

An Accompanying Measure (MERA) to develop the project has been submitted to and accepted by the EC. The funded partners are made up of the Executive Committee and Strategy Group (at the time of submission) but travel and subsistence for the workshops has been included for the wider EUROMET membership. The AM will run from Summer/Autumn 2002 with a duration of 12 months