Meet the Member… NPL

Tell us briefly, what NPL does?

NPL is the UK’s National Metrology Institute, providing the measurement capability that underpins the UK’s prosperity and quality of life.

From new antibiotics to tackle resistance and more effective cancer treatments, to secure quantum communications and superfast 5G, technological advances must be built on a foundation of reliable measurement to succeed. Building on over a century’s worth of expertise, our science, engineering and technology provides this foundation. We save lives, protect the environment and enable citizens to feel safe and secure, as well as support international trade and commercial innovation. As a national laboratory, our advice is always impartial and independent, meaning consumers, investors, policymakers and entrepreneurs can always rely on the work we do.

What is your mission as a company?

NPL’s mission is to provide the measurement capability that underpins the UK’s prosperity and quality of life.

What sets you apart from the competition?

What sets NPL apart is our role as the UK’s National Metrology Institute (NMI), combining world-leading measurement science with a mission to support industry, government and society. We provide the trusted measurement capability that underpins innovation and helps address some of the UK’s most pressing national challenges. From communications, media and quantum technologies to advanced manufacturing, healthcare, energy and transport, NPL supports the development and use of emerging technologies across a wide range of sectors. By bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and real-world application, we help organisations innovate with confidence and accelerate the introduction of new and enhanced products and services. Through trusted expertise, standards and collaboration, we enable technological advances that strengthen digital resilience, drive productivity, support sustainability, enhance security and contribute to economic growth.

What is the most exciting thing coming up for NPL?

Earlier this year the UK Government announced the establishment of a new Centre for AI Measurement, which is a cornerstone of the AI Assurance Innovation Fund.  The Centre for AI Measurement is a national initiative led by NPL, developing the measurement science needed to test, evaluate, and assure the quality and trustworthiness of AI systems. It forms part of the UK Government’s wider programme to support safe and responsible AI adoption and strengthen the emerging market for third-party AI assurance. Drawing on NPL’s role as the UK’s National Metrology Institute, the Centre will bring together collaborative research, practical industry application, and ecosystem coordination to advance rigorous, repeatable, and comparable approaches to AI testing and evaluation and support their adoption in practice.

What is the biggest issue you think we can address together through cross-industry collaboration?

One of the biggest challenges we can address through cross-industry collaboration is resilience and more specifically, timing resilience.  As national infrastructure becomes increasingly interconnected, there is a growing need for reliable and accurate timing that is essential to sectors such as broadcasting, telecommunications, data centres, energy, transport and finance. Global navigation satellite systems, particularly the US Global Positioning System (GPS), has been a transformational capability to service not only our positioning and navigational needs, but is also the (lesser known) means by which our digital infrastructure accesses precise time. Many systems across industry currently rely on satellite-based services such as GPS, that can be subject to disruption. By bringing together expertise from across industry, we can develop more robust timing architectures, improve resilience and accelerate the use of alternative timing solutions to complement GNSS and reduce dependency on it. Programmes like the National Timing Centre, led by NPL, focus on ensuring assured time is available to users, supporting innovation of new and emerging technologies and driving long-term economic growth. Secure, resilient and trusted time instils confidence in the efficient and reliable operation of the digital services we rely on every day. Collaboration is essential to ensure that these services remain reliable, secure and synchronised in an increasingly connected world.

What might people not know about your NPL?

What people might not know about NPL is how much the everyday services we use depends on the measurement science and services we provide to support industry and their customers. From providing the UK’s national time scale, UTC(NPL), and developing a resilient timing infrastructure to enabling innovation in emerging technologies, NPL’s work underpins many of the systems we rely on every day. In addition to scientific research, our expertise and collaborative projects have a real-world impact across sectors including broadcasting, telecommunications, energy, healthcare and transport.