LONDON, September 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
New approach informed by government priorities, consultation with industry, and a century of expertise
NPL, the UK's National Measurement Institute, will re-launch this month to apply the latest advances in measurement science, engineering and technology to fast-track growth in key sectors of the UK economy. The new approach focuses on areas with the potential to provide major social and economic benefits - advanced manufacturing, digital, energy and environment, and life sciences and health - to help the UK take a leading share of future markets and become a world-leader in commercialising research.
The re-launch is in direct response to government policy, including the Industrial Strategy, as well as extensive consultation with industry on key economic drivers such as big data, automation, environmental regulation, the digital economy and personalised healthcare.
Drawing on a century of expertise and world-class facilities across the UK, the re-launch will see NPL forge a stronger link between lab and market, creating new measurement standards, skills and technologies to support trade and innovation across the commercial world, from Industry 4.0 to drug development. It will also further NPL's pioneering work saving lives, protecting the environment and enabling citizens to feel secure.
Its four new focus areas are:
- Growing the economic impact and competitiveness of UK manufacturing, by helping businesses big and small to harness the potential of the digitally-enabled supply chain and take advantage of new materials and processes, like composites and additive manufacturing, to become more responsive, sustainable, and efficient
- Unlocking new digital opportunities, by testing and validating new technologies, such as quantum devices and 5G, to protect consumers and provide a competitive edge to industry, and transforming the way we collect, connect and comprehend data
- Paving the way to a greener future, by working to make every stage of energy generation and transport more efficient, safe and affordable, accelerating the uptake of new green technologies, such as hydrogen fuel cells, and providing confidence to take effective action to mitigate climate change and air pollution
- Working to tackle some of the world's biggest health challenges, by standardising and improving diagnosis and treatment techniques to help all UK NHS hospitals provide world-class cancer care by 2020, and reducing attrition rates in drug development, as well as working on new therapies like novel antibiotics, to get them to patients more quickly
Dr Peter Thompson, CEO of NPL, said: "Many people are unaware of the scope, scale or quality of work that NPL delivers, or the part that it has played in some of the biggest discoveries in modern history. The effects of the science, technology and engineering that NPL delivers are felt by everyone, everywhere. After a century as the silent partner to industry, we are proud to re-launch NPL, to ensure it can further accelerate UK industry and deliver extraordinary impact on our economy and quality of life for many years to come.
Whether it's making UK business more productive, harnessing the power of big data, tackling climate change, developing the next generation of mobile technologies, services and applications or improving the treatment of the world's most prevalent diseases, you'll be amazed at how NPL is working to solve the greatest challenges and meet the biggest opportunities facing society today."
Measurement is vital in taking an idea or finding, and turning it into a product or service that can be reproduced or manufactured at scale, more efficiently, safely and cheaply than before. Measurement is also crucial in expanding our understanding of, and confidence in, the performance of technologies and processes, ensuring consumers know what they are getting, and industry can exploit them to their full potential.
Responsible for maintaining the UK's primary measurement standards since 1902, NPL has performed a vital role across the entire technology lifecycle, from research science to product development and commercialisation, for over a century. The first accurate caesium atomic clock, that led to the redefinition of the second 50 years ago this October and whose descendants now underpin GPS and telecommunications, was created at NPL. As was packet switching, the forbearer of the internet which facilitated the worldwide exchange of data across digital networks, and radar, which revolutionised navigation and defence.
For more information visit: http://www.npl.co.uk
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Alex Cloney
AprilSix Proof on behalf of NPL:
+44(0)20-3141-2970
alex.cloney@aprilsixproof.com
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