Many newcomers to quality infrastructure (QI) struggle to understand the role of metrology, a key domain within the discipline. It can be challenging to grasp how metrology forms the backbone of a QI system, not only in terms of physical metrology, such as measuring weights, length, time, or temperature, but even more so when it comes to chemical metrology.
When the Panama Canal was inaugurated in 1914, it stood as a monument to engineering prowess and the quiet, often invisible discipline of measurement. The accurate control of water levels, the precise alignment of massive lock gates, and the seamless operation of the canal’s machinery were feats that depended on precise, reliable, and consistent measurements—what we now recognize as core elements of metrology. Yet, at that time, Panama had no national metrology infrastructure of its own.
Continue readingAs we continue our efforts to measure quality infrastructure (QI) development and improve QI data collection to understand QI’s contribution to economic growth, we turn our attention to metrology. We examined the relationship between the Global Quality Infrastructure Index (GQII) and the number of metrology patents filed to understand whether it would be a suitable proxy for metrology development. We expect a strong positive relationship between the variables of interest, suggesting that countries with higher metrological competencies will likely have more metrology patent applications.
Continue readingThe “GQII-Report 2023: Insights and Trends on Economies Using Metrology, Standards, Accreditation and Conformity Assessment Services” was published earlier this year using 2023 data. The GQII database and ranking integrate information on quality infrastructure (QI) in 185 economies. Each edition collects and analyses data on standardization, metrology, accreditation and conformity assessment activities. Data from multiple sources is used to ensure comparability and a formula is used to calculate each economy’s score and position in the global QI ranking.
Continue readingIn a June 2024 Solar Energy Special, the Economist called solar energy generation the “least obtrusive revolution imaginable.”(The Economist 2024b) According to the International Solar Energy Society, solar power is on track to generate more electricity than all the world’s nuclear power plants in 2026, its wind turbines in 2027, its dams in 2028, its gas-fired power plants in 2030, and its coal-fired ones in 2032.
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Quality Infrastructure for Development 