On May 20, measurement scientists and professionals worldwide celebrate World Metrology Day, established May 20, 1875, the day the Treaty of the Meter was signed. The treaty formed the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) and set the framework for global collaboration in measurement science and its applications.

Andrew J. Wallard, director of the BIPM first launched World Metrology Day in 2005, which began as a low-key event. Today, more than 80 countries celebrate the effects of measurement on daily life.

This year’s theme concentrates on how measurement influences science and stimulates innovation. As the world strives to move on from its recent financial problems, and as governments work to regenerate economies, science and technology should be viewed as the engines of economic growth and prosperity. These, in turn, rely on being able to measure correctly and to refer measurements to the same international reference standards.

In 2010, Wallard highlights the role played by precise measurement. He challenges measurement scientists to be more active in promoting the topic among decision makers, as well as with young people, pointing out the value of accurate and reliable measurement to their daily tasks and to the world as it deals with today’s challenges.

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