Certified Reference Materials: What They Are and Why They Matter

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.

Reference materials of the Designated Institute of the Philippines
Photo by Christian Schoen
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When Data Creates Trust: The Quality Infrastructure Behind Codes and Digital Product Passports

The Challenge and Promise of QI Interoperability

Digital transformation is affecting all aspects of quality infrastructure (QI), introducing data-driven approaches that increase the visibility and reach of standardization, metrology, accreditation, and conformity assessment processes.

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Building Safe and Fair Workplaces: The Critical Role of Quality Infrastructure

Introduction

Quality infrastructure (QI) institutions, which initially focused primarily on technical and industrial sectors, now impact nearly every aspect of our lives. They influence how goods and services are produced and significantly affect the world of work, where safety, fairness, and dignity are essential. On a global scale, the International Labour Organization (ILO) sets the gold standard for workplace rights, creating norms that ensure decent working conditions for all.

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Metrology and the Panama Canal: A Historical Overview

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.

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Digital Product Passport: A Game Changer for Textile Compliance

A recent project scoping mission to Pakistan highlighted how busily textile and garment exporters prepare for the upcoming EU regulations affecting their sector. The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) is particularly relevant to them and will include the Digital Product Passport (DPP) as an essential implementation tool. By 2027, textile & apparel exporters must have implemented DPP solutions that satisfy EU import controls. 

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