EMPIR
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| EMPIR | |
|---|---|
| Name | EMPIR |
| Formation | 2014 |
| Type | Research funding programme |
| Headquarters | Brussels |
| Region served | Europe |
| Parent organization | European Association of National Metrology Institutes |
EMPIR
The European Metrology Programme for Innovation and Research is a pan-European metrology funding programme linking European Union research priorities, Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe and national metrology strategies; it supports measurement science across EURAMET, European Commission, European Research Council, European Space Agency and national research institutes. EMPIR coordinates metrology priorities with industrial stakeholders such as Siemens, BMW, Rolls-Royce plc and research organisations including National Physical Laboratory (United Kingdom), Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd to address challenges in areas from healthcare regulation to environmental monitoring. The programme fosters collaborative projects linking European Standards Organisations, University of Cambridge, ETH Zurich, CNRS, Fraunhofer Society and metrology institutes across Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy and Spain.
Overview
EMPIR funds collaborative research to improve measurement standards and capabilities across industry and science, aligning national institutes and regional stakeholders such as EURAMET, European Commission, Council of the European Union, European Parliament and national ministries. Projects often engage academic partners like Imperial College London, University of Oxford, University of Manchester, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Delft University of Technology alongside technical organisations including NPL, PTB, LNE, INRIM and CEM. The programme targets sectors influenced by institutions such as European Medicines Agency, European Environment Agency, European Central Bank, European Food Safety Authority and industrial consortia like CLEPA and CEN.
History and development
EMPIR was launched following consultations involving European Commission directorates, EURAMET members and stakeholders from Horizon 2020 planning, building on predecessor initiatives supported by European Metrology Research Programme partners and national programmes in Germany, United Kingdom, France and Italy. Early project calls drew proposals from consortia including PTB, NPL, INRIM, LNE and VSL, reflecting research priorities identified by panels with representatives from European Space Agency, European Medicines Agency, European Food Safety Authority and industry groups such as EUREKA. Subsequent phases aligned with strategic frameworks set by Horizon Europe and involved coordination with European Standards Organisation CEN and European Standards Organisation CENELEC to ensure uptake by regulatory bodies and standards committees.
Objectives and scope
The programme’s objectives include improving measurement traceability for sectors overseen by European Medicines Agency and European Food Safety Authority, enabling innovation in industries represented by European Automobile Manufacturers Association and Chemical Industry Council of the EU, and supporting environmental monitoring priorities of European Environment Agency and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. EMPIR’s scope spans quantum metrology relevant to European Quantum Flagship, biomedical metrology tied to European Molecular Biology Laboratory, energy and transport metrology impacting European Investment Bank projects, and industrial measurement needs of Airbus, Siemens, Bosch and SKF.
Governance and funding
Governance structures combine stakeholders from EURAMET, European Commission, national ministries, and technical committees involving PTB, NPL, INRIM, LNE and other national metrology institutes; advisory bodies include representatives from European Research Council and industry associations like CEN and CENELEC. Funding mechanisms draw on contributions from European Union research programmes, national metrology budgets in countries such as Germany, United Kingdom, France and Italy, and co-funding from industrial partners and regional programmes linked to Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. Programme management interfaces with contracting authorities in Brussels and uses peer review panels composed of experts from EMPA, VTT, Fraunhofer Society, CNRS and universities.
Major programmes and projects
Major EMPIR projects have targeted areas including quantum standards linked to European Quantum Flagship initiatives, time and frequency dissemination involving European Space Agency and Galileo, biomedical reference measurement collaborating with European Medicines Agency and European Molecular Biology Laboratory, and environmental traceability projects informing Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments and European Environment Agency monitoring networks. Consortia have included partners such as NPL, PTB, INRIM, LNE, CEM, VSL, EMPA, TUBITAK, MikroTik, Airbus and Siemens working on deliverables for European Standards Organisation CEN committees and industrial sectors represented by CLEPA and EUREKA programmes.
Impact and outcomes
EMPIR-funded work has produced reference materials and measurement protocols adopted by European Medicines Agency laboratories, calibration services used by Airbus and Rolls-Royce plc supply chains, and traceability chains informing European Central Bank currency metrology and European Environment Agency pollutant inventories. Outputs influenced standards developed by CEN and CENELEC, aided regulatory compliance for firms like Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline, supported technology transfer to Fraunhofer Society spin-outs, and underpinned research cited by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports and European Space Agency missions.
Participating organisations and collaborations
Participating organisations include national metrology institutes such as Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, National Physical Laboratory (United Kingdom), Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica, Laboratoire national de métrologie et d'essais, Centro Nacional de Metrología, VSL, EMPA, MKEH and SMU, academic institutions like University of Cambridge, ETH Zurich, CNRS, Imperial College London and Delft University of Technology, and industrial partners including Airbus, Siemens, BMW, Rolls-Royce plc, Bosch and Pfizer. Collaborative links extend to European bodies such as EURAMET, European Commission directorates, European Research Council, European Space Agency, European Medicines Agency, European Environment Agency, CEN and CENELEC, and international partners including NIST, BIPM and IEC.