INRIM is the national public body with the task of carrying out and promoting scientific research in metrology. Its research activities in measurement science, materials science and innovative technologies are recognised world-wide. With the handover of the tasks of primary metrology institute previously assigned to IMGC and IEN, INRIM has become the focus of most scientific metrology activities in Italy, except for the field of ionising radiations, where ENEA-INMRI maintains its role, with ENEA continuing to report to the Ministry for Economic Development (MiSE).
INRIM carries out studies and researches on the realization of primary measurement standards for the basic and derived units of the International System of units (SI). It assures the maintenance of such standards, their international comparison, the dissemination of SI units and in general provides measurement traceability to the SI units. In addition to physical and engineering metrology, its main R&D areas are in fundamental physical constants, materials, metrology for chemistry, health and environment, nanotechnology, innovation, quantum information and computer vision.
Furthermore, INRIM:
- undertakes, promotes and coordinates scientific and technological research projects, often in liaison cooperation with the European Union and international bodies, both through resources of its own and through programs of collaboration with universities and other national or international public and private organizations;
- promotes and coordinates the participation of Italy in international organizations, projects and initiatives;
- supplies scientific expertise and advisory services;
- circulates its economic and social results on a national scale;
- promotes the technical and professional education and growth of its staff and personnel, also by awarding scholarships, and supporting PhD theses;
- provides technical and consultancy services to other scientific bodies, public administrations, companies or other private organizations;
- provides technological transfer for social and economic aims through the communication of scientific results;
- provides high level calibration services to third parties under private law;
- participates in evaluation of research and structures;
- independently operates the national accreditation body for calibration laboratories (SIT).
INRIM has its operative premises mostly in Strada delle Cacce - Torino, and at the Politecnico di Torino - Dipartimento di Ingegneria Aeronautica e Spaziale and the Università di Pavia - Dipartimento Chimica Generale.
2006 was characterised by INRIM becoming fully operative, its regulations coming into force on 1 January according to Organizational and operating regulations:
- The IEN responsible for scientific and technical activities and the IMGC director maintained the responsibility for the respective structures (till the appointment of the INRIM Department Director in May 2007);
- The IEN and IMGC scientific responsibilities were extended (till the appointment of the Department Divisions officers in June 2007).
As a result, INRIM operation in 2006 was based on the following structures and coordination functions.
Director general
Management and Verification Committee for Quality
Quality Management System
Department
- Time and Frequency Metrology
- Electrical Metrology
- Photometry and Radiometry
- Acoustics and Ultrasounds
- Quantum Devices for Metrology
- Materials
- Applied Electromagnetics
- Computer Vision
- Length metrology
- Mass metrology
- Thermal metrology
- Dynamometry
- Metrology for Chemistry, Health and Environment
- Interdisciplinary Metrology
Coordination functions:
- Determination of Fundamental Physical Constants
- Mathematical and Statistical Methods in Measurement
- Education, Communication, Scientific Culture Circulation
- Calibration, Measurement and Testing Activities
Administration and Management
- General Secretariat
- Asset and Cost Accounting
- Personnel
- Remuneration and Emoluments
- Library, Communication, Promotion and Image
- General Technical Services
- Safety in Working Environment
- Computers and Network Services
Laboratory Accreditation Service
In connection with the tasks of primary metrology institute assigned by legislative decree no. 38/2004, INRIM has developed a wide range of metrological activities, comprising:
- basic and applied researches in metrology (determination of fundamental physical constants; studies and researches designed to realize primary measurement standards as defined under the international system of units for electromagnetism, mechanics, time and frequency, photometry and radiometry, thermometry, acoustics, ultrasounds and vibrations; maintenance of the national measurement standards and their recognition at international level, according to procedures and requirements of the MRA promoted by CIPM and signed in 1999, their participation in international measurement comparisons);
- participation in international initiatives and cooperation programmes, specifically in bodies coordinating the metrological activities at international and European levels, in order to assure comparability and reliability of measurement results at international level;
- cooperation with the national metrology institutes of foreign countries;
- development of the metrological structure, assuring the dissemination of SI units, with their transfer from the reference level of primary standards to the application level in science, industry and society;
- fundamental and applied research on materials, innovative devices, nanotechnologies and thin films, fields where INRIM has a strong, recognized tradition. As is well-known, in recent decades research in metrology has often utilized data based on physical phenomena where fundamental physical constants, quantum mechanics, nanotechnologies and materials play an essential role;
- knowledge and technology transfer to science, industry and society;
- to make available measurement standards and procedures of interest for legal metrology in view of the European directive 2004/22/CE on measuring instruments (in force since 30 October 2006), measurement standards being recognized at international level as a valid support for legal metrology;
- supply of scientific and technical services at the highest level of calibration and measurement capabilities;
- support for legal metrology and technical standardization activities;
- contribution to the training of researchers, graduates and technicians;
- development of the network of calibration laboratories accredited as SIT calibration centres.
Specifically, it is worth mentioning:
- the organization, together with the Politecnico and Università di Torino, of the 25th Conference on Precision Electromagnetic Measurement (CPEM), held for the first time in Turin, 9 to 14 July 2006. This Conference is one of the most important event for the metrology of electromagnetic quantities and of time and frequency, and for the first time it included the subject of electromagnetic measurement methods for chemistry. INRIM participated in the Organizing Committee, prepared the Conference Digest and participated in the selection of the full papers proposed for publication in the special issue of IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement and organized seventeen satellite events (meetings of working and experts groups, visits to INRIM laboratories);
- participation in the Course organized by the Italian Society of Physics on Metrology and Fundamental Constants, held at Varenna, 18-28 July 2006, with the scientific secretary (M. L. Rastello), three teachers (R. Gavioso, G. Mana and W. Bich) and 12 attendances from INRIM (see Volume 166 - "Enrico Fermi" International School of Physics, edited by T. Haensch - Max Planck Institut fur Quanten-optik, S. Leschiutta - INRIM, A. Wallard - BIPM, September 2007, 680 pp., IOS Press, Amsterdam, The Netherlands).
In the face of the sweeping new tasks that metrology in Italy has to address, the following difficulties have emerged:
- the merging of IEN and IMGC into INRIM has been accomplished without additional staff and financial resources, on the contrary with a reduction with respect to 2005, when the additional costs for IMGC were calculated considering costs of personnel and overhead expenses but not operating costs and capital expenditure for research activities;
- in 2006 the Ministry for University and Research (MUR) granted a dedicated fund of 1925 k€ to cover weakness in IMGC premises and to bring them into line with safety regulations;
- it is essential to strengthen INRIM in order to maintain its competitiveness at international and European level, all the more urgent now that INRIM has joined EURAMET e. V., i.e. the new association of national metrology Institutes in Europe.
In these conditions INRIM has paid attention to self-funding sources consequent upon the participation in European, national and regional (Regione Piemonte) research programmes, research contracts, calibration and testing activities, calibration laboratory accreditation.
Concerning the fundamental research, the consolidation of the position achieved and the prospect of new initiatives have been major concerns. In particular, INRIM has been involved in the following aspects:
- development of the project iMERA (implementing Metrology in the European Research Area), started on 1 April 2005 and funded by the European Commission in the framework of network activities (ERA-NET scheme in the VII Frame Programme). It supplies the basis for a cooperation and sharing structure in Europe and will make it possible to build a unified strategy for research in metrology;
- development of the association EURAMET e.V. and specifically of the European Metrology Research Program (EMRP), which aims to coordinate the development of new measurement capabilities having a strategic impact for Europe;
- development of scientific collaborations with universities and research institutes having similar scientific and technological aims, in order to maintain the quality of its activities at a high level and foster an integrated use of resources;
- the recently approved three-year research programme 2007 - 2009 of the Regione Piemonte, which offers INRIM many participation possibilities, and which is synergetic with Piedmont universities, other public and private research institutes and industries;
- development of liaisons with the business world, with a view to more efficient knowledge and technology transfer.
As for applied research, which represents a significant part of technology transfer, INRIM has been involved in research projects involving the satellite navigation system Galileo, ESA research programmes, projects, initiatives and collaborations at European and international levels.
In connection with its tasks as a primary metrology institute, INRIM has carried on other activities essential for the national industry and of interest to MiSE, comprising:
- participation in the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) promoted by CIPM (1999), concerning the mutual international recognition of national measurement standards and of the calibration and measurement certificates issued by national metrology institutes;
- development, through the Laboratory Accreditation Service, of the accreditation activities formerly performed by SIT-IMGC, SIT-IEN and SIT-ENEA, globally indicated as SIT (Servizio di taratura in Italia). These activities have to be performed according to international standards (ISO/IEC 17011) in order to assure the participation of SIT in the international mutual recognition agreements EA-MLA and ILAC-MRA, covering accreditation of calibration laboratories.
The following table shows data on the activities performed in 2005 and 2006 using indicators of:
- activity (patents, research contracts, scientific collaborations, participation in scientific and technical bodies, conference chairmanship, referee activity);
- capability for knowledge transfer (seminars, participation in doctorate courses, degree and doctorate theses, teaching appointments at qualifying courses and universities).
Description |
2005 |
2006 |
Seminars held by INRIM personnel |
27 |
28 |
Patents filed |
2 |
3 |
Research contracts signed in the year
|
30 |
15 |
Active scientific collaborations |
210 |
210 |
Participation in scientific and technical bodies: international
national |
|
|
Participation in doctorate courses (no. doctorate courses) |
5 |
7 |
Doctorate courses concluded at INRIM within each year |
9 |
8 |
Degree theses concluded at INRIM within each year (1st level + 2nd level) |
17 +12 |
35 + 11 |
Teaching appointment of INRIM personnel at qualifying courses and universities(h) |
557 |
878 |
Stays at INRIM (person-months) of: foreign scientists and students
Italian scientists and students |
|
|
Stays of INRIM scientists at foreign scientific institutions (person-months) | 33 |
50 |
Seminars held at INRIM by foreign scientists |
25 |
23 |
* 1638 k€ of this income derives from research contracts funded by Regione Piemonte.
The following table reports data on papers published and relevant impact factor (IF), referee activity, participation in conferences. Worth mentioning are:
- publication of 121 papers in international journals with IF (17 of them with IF between 2 and 3, 12 with IF above 3);
- the 3-volume book The science of hysteresis, edited by G. Bertotti and I. D. Mayergoyz (Vol. I - Mathematical Modeling and Applications, 705 pp.; Vol. II - Physical Modeling, Micromagnetics, and Magnetization Dynamics, 648 pp.; Vol. III
- Hysteresis in Materials, 751 pp.; in total 22 contributions, with 6 of them supplied by INRIM scientists), published by Elsevier - Academic Press;
- the book Advanced Mathematical and Computational Tools in Metrology VII, edited by P. Ciarlini, E. Filipe, A. B. Forbes, F. Pavese, C. Perruchet and B. R. L. Siebert, published by World Scientific - Series on Advances in Mathematics for Applied Sciences, Vol. 72, 365 pp. The book contains selected papers presented by scientists involved in metrology and mathematics at the 7th international conference on this subject (the 8th volume is in preparation);
- the Digest of CPEM 2006, edited by F. Levi and M. Pisani, 766 pp. containing the short papers of the 360 communications presented at CPEM 2006 (attended by 500 persons from 40 countries);
- participation in international conferences, with the presentation of 207 communications (74 of them published in the relevant proceedings and 14 as invited communications) and the chairmanship of 28 sessions.
Description |
2005 |
2006 |
Publications: books published
papers in international journals
papers in national journals
communications in proceedings of international conferences
communications in proceedings of national conferences
technical reports
|
|
|
IF of papers in international journals: - below 0.5
- between 0.5 and 1
- between 1 and 2
- between 2 and 3
- above 3
- no. of papers with IF/ total no. of papers
- mean value of IF
- root-mean-square deviation of IF
- sum of IF |
|
|
Referee activity for: international journals
proceedings of international conferences |
|
|
Communications presented at: international conferences
national conferences |
|
|
Chairmanships of conference sessions |
13 |
28 |
Accreditation activity in 2006 is summarized by the following data: increase in accredited laboratories from 170 to 172; 4 new accredited laboratories; accreditation renewal and extension for 33 and 23 laboratories, respectively; 46 surveillance visits; income of 947 k€. Some ambitious objectives have been attained concerning accreditation for car speed meters, flexible scope (Politecnico di Milano in the field of acceleration measurements) and underwater ultrasound measurements (Istituto Corbino of CNR).
The Administration and Management structure has been involved in the following activities: actions related to INRIM organization and operation; support for the management and auditing bodies; asset and cost accounting; personnel management; remuneration and emoluments management; library, publications and press activities; general technical services. This structure has participated in the realization of the INRIM quality management system (QMS).
The QMS satisfies requirements for participation in the CIPM-MRA and agrees with EUROMET guides no. 1, EUROMET's Policy on the Application of Quality Systems in National Metrology Institutes and no. 6, EUROMET Traceability. In addition, the INRIM QMS has the requirements for maintaining the status of:
- laboratory qualified by MUR;
- body notified to the European Union by MiSE, in the framework of European Directive 73/23/CEE, replaced by Directive 2006/95/CE;
- body recognized by the Ministry of Infrastructures and by the Ministry of Transport, for issuing conformity certificates of materials for road safety (retro-reflecting films, DM 31 March 1995);
- qualified testing laboratory operative in the certification system Associazione per la Certificazione delle Apparecchiature Elettriche (ACAE, member of LOVAG - Low Voltage Agreement Group).
In addition, the QMS supports activity needed for obtaining the status of test laboratory notified by MiSE for the determination of the acoustical properties of building components, according to DM 9 May 2003 and DPR 21 April 1993, no. 246, for CE marking of building materials (directive 89/106/CEE).
The following table shows the INRIM calibration and measurement capabilities (CMC) at the end of 2006, classified according to INRIM Department divisions and the metrological areas defined in the BIPM KCDB database (http://kcdb.bipm.fr). The CMCs number 525, and concern 8 of the 9 areas; 453 of them have been approved and 72 are under examination.
Division / Metrological area |
No. of CMCs | ||
Published |
Under examination |
||
|
New |
Under revision |
|
ELECTROMAGNETISM
|
202 |
|
|
MECHANICS
|
156 |
4 |
27 |
OPTICS
|
39 |
|
|
THERMODYNAMICS
|
56 |
5 |
36 |
Total |
453 |
9 |
63 |
QMS documents available at the end of 2006.
Description |
Available |
|
General documents
|
34 |
|
Calibration and measurement procedures (CP), test procedures (TP) |
CP |
TP |
ELECTROMAGNETISM
|
65 |
22 |
MECHANICS
|
65 |
|
OPTICS
|
38 |
|
THERMODYNAMICS
|
60 |
8 |
Total no. of calibration, measurement and test procedures |
228 |
30 |
During 2006 INRIM reviewed its internal organization processes (management and administration) as regards the management of the calibration, measurement and testing activities and new procedures were developed; 7 general procedures and 8 calibration and measurement procedures were revised; models and guides for editing technical documents (calibration and measurement certificates, conformity certificates, test reports, reports) were prepared; 12 internal audits were performed; 2 complaints and 19 non conformities were dealt with and solved; the QMS was re-examined by INRIM management.
Telecom Italia S.p.A., user of INRIM calibration and measurement activities, has communicated the Index Vendor Rating assigned for the years 2004 and 2005, of 100/100 and 95/100, respectively.
The following two tables give for the financial year 2006 the main total incomes and expenses. The MUR fund amounts to 20.226 k€, with 18.301 k€ as ordinary fund and 1.925 k€ dedicated fund to IMGC premises.
Income (k€)
Description |
2006 |
MUR ordinary fund |
18301 |
MUR additional fund for specific purposes |
1925 |
Regione Piemonte:
|
|
Participation in research programmes (RP) |
132 |
Research contracts (RC) |
525 |
Consultancy, calibration and test activities, other activities (CT) |
1681 |
Laboratory accreditation activity (LA) |
903 |
Other sources |
1949 |
Carried forward from the previous year |
954 |
TOTAL |
28039 |
Expenses (k€)
Description |
2006 |
Costs of personnel with permanent and temporary contracts |
13483 |
Costs of other personnel (persons with paid appointment, research grants, scholarships) |
873 |
Operating costs for research activities |
1048 |
Overhead expenses |
6079 |
Capital expenditure for research activities |
2510 |
Other capital expenditure |
2466 |
Carried forward to the next budget |
1580 |
TOTAL |
28039 |
The following two tables show expenses data for 2006 divided by structure and by QMS, and financial resources used in 2006 to cover the relevant expenses.
Expenses of the different structures in 2006 (k€)
Structure |
Personnel |
Operating costs |
Capital expenditure |
Total |
||||
Research and institutional activities |
Calibration, measurement and test activities |
Total |
Research activities |
Overhead |
Research activities |
Other |
||
Department |
9726 |
1266 |
10992 |
886 |
4968 |
2396 |
2015 |
21257 |
Administration and Management |
2467 |
- |
2467 |
117 |
846 |
86 |
343 |
3858 |
Laboratory Accreditation Service |
720 |
- |
720 |
45 |
225 |
28 |
91 |
1109 |
QMS |
177 |
- |
177 |
|
41 |
|
17 |
235 |
Total |
13090 |
1266 |
14356 |
1048 |
6079 |
2510 |
2466 |
26459 |
Calibration, measurement and test activities |
- |
1266 |
1266 |
130 |
519 |
195 |
211 |
2321 |
Funding of the different structures in 2006 (k€)
Structure |
MUR ordinary fund |
Regione Piemonte fund |
Self-funding sources |
Other sources |
Total |
|||
RP |
RC |
CT |
LA |
|||||
Department |
17326 |
1638 |
132 |
481 |
1679 |
- |
- |
21257 |
Administration and Management |
1877 |
30 |
- |
- |
2 |
- |
1949 |
3858 |
Laboratory Accreditation Service |
162 |
- |
- |
44 |
- |
903 |
- |
1109 |
QMS |
235 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
235 |
Total |
19600 |
1668 |
132 |
525 |
1681 |
903 |
1949 |
26459 |
Calibration, measurement and test activities |
640 |
- |
- |
- |
1681 |
- |
- |
2321 |
The following table shows data regarding staff, hired with permanent contract (TI) and with temporary contract (TD), at the end of 2004, 2005 and 2006. INRIM permanent staff on 31 December 2006 numbered 210 people. In the first seven months of 2007 7 persons retired, 1 person moved from INRIM to CNR and 1 moved from CNR to INRIM.
Description |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
|||
TI |
TD |
TI |
TD |
TI |
TD |
|
Researchers and technologists |
93 |
9 |
91+1(2) |
12 |
88 |
11 |
Technicians |
85+5(2) |
6 |
94+4(2) |
5 |
89+3(2) |
8 |
Administrative staff |
32 |
1 |
32 |
2 |
30 |
|
Total |
214+DG(1)+5(2) |
16 |
216+DG(1)+5(2) |
19 |
206+DG(1)+3(2) |
19 |
(1) Senior executive (hired as Director general).
(2) Persons posted to small or medium-sized firms.
The following table shows data on the staff occupied during 2006 in each first level structure and in the QMS, expressed in full time equivalent persons (FTE), with a distinction between:
- personnel with permanent contract (TI) and temporary contract (TD);
- other personnel (persons with paid cooperation or work appointment; research grants; scholarships; doctorate students, evaluating their involvement as equal to (0.4 - 0.6 - 0.7) FTE for students attending in 2006 the first, the second or the third year of the doctorate course, respectively; associate scientists; persons with free cooperation appointment).
Staff involved in the different structures in 2006 (FTE)
Structure |
Personnel TI and TD |
Other personnel |
Total |
||
Research and institutional activities |
Ordered activities |
Research and institutional activities |
Ordered activities |
||
Department |
134.25 |
23.02 |
66.47 |
0.40 |
224.14 |
Administration and Management |
48.50 |
- |
1.10 |
- |
49.60 |
Laboratory Accreditation Service |
- |
10.57 |
- |
2.60 |
13.17 |
QMS |
2.41 |
- |
- |
- |
2.41 |
Total |
185.16 |
33.59 |
67.57 |
3.00 |
289.32 |
Calibration, measurement and test activities |
- |
23.02 |
- |
0.40 |
23.42 |
The following table shows data on the different typologies of persons involved during 2006 in INRIM activities (expressed in units active on 31 December 2006 and in FTE related to whole 2006).
Description |
Units |
FTE |
Personnel with permanent contract |
214 |
201.25 |
Personnel with temporary contract |
19 |
17.50 |
Persons with paid cooperation or work appointment |
23 |
17.32 |
Research grants |
17 |
18.90 |
Scholarships |
9 |
9.90 |
Doctorate students |
26 |
13.05 |
Associate scientists; persons with free cooperation appointment |
41 |
11.40 |
Total |
349 |
289.32 |
Further to decree no. 38/2004 and Organizational and operating regulations, INRIM has planned a periodic evaluation of its activities, considered as a whole and in its specific areas. To this end INRIM makes use of an Evaluation Committee (CV) consisting of six members.
Administration and management are evaluated by a dedicated Evaluation Committee. As evaluation results have to be used for activity planning and for its organization and resource allocation, it is important to envisage forms and ways for evaluating interactions between research, administration and management, and laboratory accreditation service.
INRIM also engages in activities that are not of a strictly research nature, albeit connected with research activity, in relation to its tasks of primary metrology institute. Resources involved in activities not of a strictly research nature have to be considered in order not to worsen the evaluation of research activities.
The number of products of the research activity is not predetermined; however, their typology has to be limited in order to assure selectivity and significance. As a result, the research evaluation database comprises realizations (publications with IF, patents, handmade apparatuses), research contracts, personnel and financial resources allocated and acquired.
The CIVR has classified these information items according to 20 scientific areas. Research programme definition and activity management have to consider that INRIM comprises 4 divisions and operates on three levels: research for advancing knowledge and support for social and cultural development; transfer activity for technology progress and research results utilization; services (laboratory accreditation, training, consultancy, calibration, measurement and test activities) in order to assure traceability and consistency with the national measurement system and to support the economy and industry.
A first analysis of data on activities in 2006 indicates, as INRIM strong points:
- visibility and proposal capability at international level;
- the balance between research activities and the dissemination activity of the SI units;
- the high number and quality of the CMCs recognised at international level;
- the wide range and quality of scientific collaborations;
- the ability to attract resources through research contracts, calibration and testing activities, accreditation of calibration laboratories;
- involvement in the training of scientists, final year students and technicians;
- the ability to design, realize and market advanced instruments;
- the wide use of new technologies and updated methods for experimental data processing and analysis.
As weak points, we would mention:
- the limited knowledge of INRIM scientific structures, activities and possible applications among politicians, public institutions, industries and public opinion;
- the limited stakeholder involvement;
- the gap between capabilities and results, in terms of patents and spin-off. In order to reduce this gap it is necessary to set up a policy and take measures able to boost patent activity and application of research activity;
- the presence of obsolete equipment;
- the high percentage of non permanent staff;
- the high mean age of staff with permanent contract;
- the non-turn-over.