Supporting the national effort
NPL is the UK's national laboratory for measurement science and metrology. We provide the measurement standards for science, technology and manufacturing and are uniquely placed to support UK industry to meet the unprecedented challenge of the COVID-19 global pandemic. NPL has proved itself agile and responsive offering advice on standards, testing and product requirements, through to training and NPL staff deployment.
As a national laboratory who has thousands of customers in the UK and beyond, it was a natural progression to make our expertise and facilities available to support UK industry. However, our role has extended further as we work with NHS trusts on ventilator provision, oxygen supply and data processing and analysis. The current global pandemic reminds us of the vital role that metrology plays in supporting global measurement systems and helping society function.
Agile and innovative
The pandemic spurred us on to be innovative and creative so that we could lead the world in providing confidence in solutions to measurement problems created by new working practices. We performed tests to help verify and validate performance of materials, instruments, and sensors and used our state-of-the-art machines, tools and 3D printing capability to make prototypes and new products.
As the immediate focus on ventilators and emergency responses passed, NPL focused attention on supporting UK industry with their needs for recovery. We have vast knowledge on standards which means we can provide advice on how supply chain changes and product modifications can impact compliance with regulations. Our research expertise allowed us advise and inform government, companies and research organisations on a wide range of topics. NPL’s extensive professional networks were used to link organisations with specialist suppliers to meet manufacturing challenges.