THE FUTURE OF METROLOGY
Lead
Metrology is rapidly entering a new era — one where the digital, quantum, and green revolutions merge. Artificial intelligence (AI) accelerates data processing and reveals errors invisible to the human eye; digital technologies enable faster and safer data exchange; quantum systems bring entirely new principles of measurement; and the green transition directs metrology toward a sustainable future.
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One of the biggest changes is the rise of machine-readable documents, which are replacing paper certificates and spreadsheets. Data are transferred directly from instrument to instrument, without human transcription. This speeds up work and reduces the possibility of error. Examples already under development include Digital Calibration Certificates (DCCs) and so-called Smart Standards, which can be automatically loaded into software and alert the engineer if a system fails to meet the required standards.
(Visual 1 – DCC)
Artificial intelligence (AI) brings new possibilities to metrology: automatic processing of large data sets and detection of patterns that are difficult for humans to notice. But this raises a key question — how reliable are such results? For this reason, new methods are being developed to assess the measurement uncertainty of AI-generated results, especially in high-risk fields such as medicine, for example when analysing radiological images.
(Visual 2 – AI Medical Imaging)
The true future of metrology lies at the quantum level — where individual atoms and photons are measured. Quantum standards enable previously unimaginable accuracy: defining the kilogram using the Planck constant, developing quantum thermometers, and creating optical atomic clocks that would lose less than a second over billions of years. Such technologies will underpin secure communications, quantum computers, and new medical sensors.
(Visual 3: Future optical atomic clock at the Institute of Physics / Source: Institute of Physics, Zagreb, CALT – Centre for Advanced Laser Techniques)
(Visual 4: Strontium atoms in ultra-high vacuum, part of the optical atomic clock at the Institute of Physics / Source: Institute of Physics, Zagreb, CALT – Centre for Advanced Laser Techniques)
At the same time, metrology supports the green transition and the monitoring of climate change. Networked IoT sensors track air and water quality and the efficiency of renewable energy sources, while metrological methods ensure that the collected data are reliable and comparable.
(Visual 5 – IoT sensor networks)
As the world becomes ever more interconnected, the importance of trust in digital and quantum measurements continues to grow. Common standards, international agreements, and secure digital signatures ensure that results are comparable — whether produced in Zagreb, Paris, or Tokyo.
EUROLAB, one of the sponsors of this exhibition, is actively engaged with the concept of the “Lab of the Future”, exploring how digitalisation, automation, and new forms of connectivity are transforming the work of testing and calibration laboratories. Through projects and publications, EUROLAB promotes the adoption of AI, IoT, and advanced data management, aiming to enable laboratories to operate more efficiently, safely, and sustainably in the decades ahead.
Metrology is thus becoming the invisible foundation of a future that is accurate, intelligent, and sustainable.