- About INRIM
- INRIM organization and infrastructure
- Activities performed and results obtained
- Department
- Administration and General Services
- Quality Management System (QMS)
- Financial resources
- Human Resources

INRIM is the National Metrological Institute (NMI) for all SI units and covers almost all scientific metrology in Italy with the exception of the ionising radiations field, handled by ENEA's Istituto Nazionale di Metrologia delle Radiazioni Ionizzanti (INMRI), with ENEA reporting to the Ministry for Economic Development (MiSE). INRIM research activities in measurement science, materials science and innovative technologies are recognised world-wide. INRIM carries out and promotes scientific research in metrology as a basis for:

• realizing primary measurement standards for SI units, as well as determining fundamental physical constants;
• assuring the maintenance of national measurement standards and their recognition at international level, according to procedures and requirements of the CIPM - MRA;
• developing research in the fields of metrology for chemistry, health and environment, nanotechnology, quantum information;
• promoting and coordinating the participation of Italy in international and European organizations, projects and initiatives and cooperating with similar institutes in other countries;
• undertaking, promoting and coordinating research projects, both through resources of its own and through programs of collaboration with universities and other national or international public and private organizations;
• disseminating and transferring scientific results, technology and knowledge acquired to scientific, industrial and service users, and providing support for legal metrology and technical standardization activities;
• providing expertise, advisory and consultancy services to other scientific bodies, public administrations, companies or other private organizations;
• assuring the dissemination of SI units and other primary references, with their transfer from the reference level of primary standards to the application level in the scientific community, industry and society, providing high level calibration services and working to ensure the reliability and comparability of measurement results;
• operating the national accreditation body for calibration laboratories (SIT);
• contributing to the training of technicians, graduates and researchers, also awarding scholarships and supporting PhD theses, and promoting the technical and professional education and growth of its staff and personnel;
• carrying out communication and promotion activities concerning research;
• participating in evaluation of research and structures.

INRIM's work programmes focus on the needs of its national stakeholders (industry, science and society) and are mainly conducted within the framework of European and international cooperation projects. Numerous research projects are carried out together with Italian universities, other research institutes and industries, to which benefits that derive from the Institute's know-how in the science of measurements are transferred.

The process by which INRIM was formed can be summarised in the following phases of a reorganisation process launched when the decree instituting it came into force. At the beginning of 2007 INRIM was still in a transitional stage as regards certain key roles mentioned in the Legislative decree and regulations, i.e.:

• the IEN responsible for scientific and technical activities and the IMGC director main-tained their responsibility till the appointment of the Department Director;
• the IEN and IMGC scientific responsibilities were extended till the appointment of the Department Divisions heads.

This process was completed in mid-2007, when all the structures became operational.

INRIM has its main premises in an area of about 16 hectares in the south of Turin where, at different stages, the following organisations were located:

• IMGC;
• IEN.

There are 13 above-ground buildings providing a total space of around 39 000 m² (23 000 m² + 2 800 m² for ex-IEN and 13 000 m² for ex-IMGC facilities).

There are 174 laboratories dedicated to R&D activities that cover 60-70 % of the total space. The remaining area is taken up by offices, the Laboratory accreditation service, libraries, workshops, administration and support infrastructures.

In addition, INRIM has two operational units hosted by Politecnico di Torino - Dipartimento di Ingegneria Aeronautica e Spaziale and Università di Pavia - Dipartimento Chimica Generale, that, respectively, are part of the Mechanics and Thermodynamics Divisions.

Activities performed in 2007 are presented according to the following organisational structure.

Director general
Management and Verification Committee for Quality

Department

• Electromagnetism Division
• Mechanics Division
• Optics Division
• Thermodynamics Division
• Calibration, measurement and testing activities

Laboratory Accreditation Service

Administration and Management
Administration (General secretariat, Asset and cost accounting, Personnel, Remuneration and emoluments)
Maintenance and logistic services (Maintenance of technological plants, Safety in working environment, Computers and network services, Publication and press)

Other Institute activities
Training and diffusion of scientific culture
Quality management system
Safety in working environment

International partnerships
From the time the Metre Convention was signed in 1875, one of the main features of the metrological field has been a strong international integration as regards policies, programmes and actions. INRIM contributes to and participates in initiatives promoted and coordinated by international metrological organisations (Bureau international des poids et me-sures - BIPM, Comité international des poids e mesures - CIPM, CIPM Consultative Committees), by EURAMET, the European association of national metrological institutes (NMIs) that, from July 2007, replaces the previous EUROMET, and by EA for accreditation matters.
INRIM is a signatory to the CIPM - MRA. Participation in the MRA means defining and documenting levels of uncertainty stated in measurement capabilities and so implies a considerable deployment of human, instrumental and financial resources to improve the Calibration and Measurement Capabilities (CMCs), published in Appendix C of the BIPM's Key Comparison Data Base (http://www.bipm.org/kcdb). In total, by December 2007, 19 997 CMCs, 598 KCs and 166 SCs had been registered. The figures in this area concerning INRIM are shown in the chart below.

INRIM - CMCs and KC&SCs (totals)

	Sector*	CMC		KC		SC
		2006	2007	2006	2007	2006	2007
AUV	Acoustics, Ultrasound and Vibration	38	42	5	5	0	0
AoS	Amount of Substance	7	10	7	8	1	1
EM	Electricity and Magnetism	201	201	36	36	10	10
L	Length	34	39	19	19	14	14
M	Mass and Related Quantities	105	105	60	60	12	12
PR	Photometry and Radiometry	23	23	9	9	1	1
T	Thermometry	29	29	12	12	2	2
TF	Time and Frequency	16	16	1	1	0	0
	Total	453	465	149	150	40	40

* In Italy the Ionizing Radiations (IR) sector - not reported here - is covered by INMRI-ENEA.

In 2007 the majority of INRIM's international cooperation activities concerned the preparation and introduction of far-reaching changes in European metrology that took place during the year, although effectively launched in 2005.
Since April 2005, in fact, 14 national metrological institutes (in addition to the Joint Research Centre JRC-IRMM) and 5 European ministries have participated as partners in the iMERA (implementing Metrology in the European Research Area) project, which covers 14 European countries with a national research programme in metrology. INRIM is not only Italy's member of the Network Steering Committee and Network Management Committee, it also heads up and coordinates the chain of objectives relating to foresight activities, that is, the study of possible future medium and long-term metrological research.
INRIM participated in preparation of: the EMRP, a wide-ranging R&D programme involving Europe's NMIs, defined and published in April 2007; the iMERA-Plus programme, first phase of EMRP and comprising 4 three-year Targeted Programmes (TPs) concerning SI units, Health, Length and Electromagnetism; the Joint Research Projects (JRPs) in the various TPs. The review and selection process for 39 proposed JRPs was completed in October 2007, whereas the programmes themselves began in March-April 2008.

INRIM participation in JRPs

Description	TP1 SI	TP2 Health	TP3 Length	TP4 E&M	Total
Funds per TP (estimates)	7 M€	7 M€	3 M€	4 M€	21 M€
Total funding (≈2/3 from participants, ≈1/3 from EC) (estimates)	21.1 M€	22.8 M€	7.8 M€	12.8 M€	64.6 M€
Proposed JRPs: INRIM participation out of the total of which coordinated by INRIM	11 out of 13 4	6 out of 10 0	6 out of 8 1	7 out of 8 1	30 out of 39 6
Selected JRPs: INRIM participation out of the total of which coordinated by INRIM	5 out of 6 2	3 out of 6 0	4 out of 4 1	5 out of 5 1	17 out of 21 4

National partnerships

Agreements and conventions
In 2007 INRIM signed: a new agreement with ENEA that regulates scientific cooperation and integration of metrological activities; conventions with Politecnico di Torino, Università di Cassino, ACAE (Association for Certification of Electrical Equipment), Italy's Istituto Superiore di Sanità (National Health Institute) and APAT (Agency for Protection of the Environment).

Piedmont Regional Authority
Within the context of regional tenders for research and innovation and in cooperation with academic and industrial partners, 2007 saw the launch of preparations for a project coordinated by INRIM entitled "Metrology at molecular and cellular level in regenerative medicine". Other issues for which regional project proposals were prepared concern solar cells and single-photon sensors.
Another example of a local initiative linked to a European programme is INRIM's participation in the Torino Time Consortium as regards Galileo Programme activities.
Among other activities there were:

• 12 PRIN project proposals (all being reviewed): 5 for the Electromagnetism Division (nanotechnologies, properties of magnetic materials and shielding electromagnetic fields); 3 for the Mechanics Division (nanomechanics, metrology at coordinates and of long distances); 2 for the Optics Division; 2 for the Thermodynamics Division;
• several industrial contracts.

The following tables show a few scientific and technological production indicators.

Publications and participation in conferences during the three-year period 2005-2007

Description	2005	2006	2007
Books published	2	4	4
Papers in international journals with IF	121	121	133
Average IF	1.70	1.70	1.51
Root-mean square deviation of IF	1.65	1.24	1.09
Sum of IF	216.1	205.7	200.1
Scientific highlights1	22	13	17
Average IF of highlights	4.47	4.26	3.64
Below 0.5	8	0	2
Between 0.5 and 1	36	40	48
Between 1 and 1.5	40	20	32
Between 1.5 and 2	4	32	20
Between 2 and 2.5	11	16	14
Between 2.5 and 3	6	1	5
Above 3	16	12	12
Other papers in international journals	14	25	9
Papers in national journals / book chapters	23	35	15
Communications at international conference proceedings	79	74	80
Communications at national conference proceedings	57	24	80
Technical reports (including reports for research contracts)	70	57	78
Communications at international conferences, seminars and meetings	120	131	171
Communications at national conferences, seminars and meetings	34	26	51
Totals of publications and participation in conferences	520	497	621
Referee activity for: international journals proceedings of international conferences	92 15	269 64	180 28
Chairmanship of conference sessions	13	28	17

Breakdown of publications and participation in conferences in 2007

Description	E	M	O	T	SIT	Dep.t	TOT
Books published	-	-	1	-	-	3	4
Papers in international journals with IF average IF	68 1.44	15 1.26	26 1.83	24 1.52	- -	- -	133 1.51
Other papers and book chapters	9	6	3	4	1	1	24
Communications at international and national conference proceedings	36	34	31	44	7	8	160
Technical reports (including reports for contracts)	12	15	20	5	14	12	78
Communications at international level	65	19	47	33	2	5	171
Communications at national level	8	17	7	13	3	3	51
Totals	198	106	135	123	27	32	621

¹ Publication in international journals with IF higher than 2.5 are considered scientific highlights, independent of the relevance of the content for the INRIM mission.

Worth mentioning are:
- the Proceedings of the International School of Physics "Enrico Fermi", Course CLXVI "Metrology and Fundamental Constants" , edited by T. Hänsch, S. Leschiutta, A.J. Wallard and M.L. Rastello, IOS Press 2007;
- the Proceedings of the Advances in Foundations of Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Information with Atoms and Photons , edited by M. Genovese, G. Brida, M.L. Rastello and A. Garuccio, World Scientific 2007, published as a special issue in the International Journal of Quantum Information (IJQI);
- the organization of the following workshops, held at INRIM in the year 2007:

• Workshop NanoMetrology 2007 - Metrology for Nanotechnology, organized together with the Associazione italiana per la ricerca industriale and held in June;
• International Workshop Single-Photon Workshop 2007, organized together with the European Programme SINPHONIA and held in September;
• Workshop on the Acoustic Determination of the Boltzmann Constant and Acoustic Gas Thermometry, held in September.

The following charts show the main products of knowledge transfer subdivided by product applications and education and training activities. The low number of patents filed by IN-RIM is due to both the tendency for researchers to give greater importance to publication as opposed to obtaining patents and the difficulties (and costs) of handling patent procedures.

Knowledge transfer - product applications

Description	2005	2006	2007
Research contract activities: contracts active in the year contracts signed in the year income in the year (k€)	60 30 642	40 15 2 296*	65 26 1 403**
Patents filed in Italy and requests for European patents	2	0	4
Extension of patents abroad	0	2	1
Calibration certificates issued	1 651***	1 431	1 587
Test reports issued	234	188	197
Other certificates and reports issued	16	56	132
CMCs published	409	453	465
Calibration procedures	235	228	242
Testing procedures	24	30	30
Calibration laboratories accredited	170	170	177

* 1 638 k€ of this income derives from research contracts funded by Regione Piemonte.
** 567 k€ of this income derives from research contracts funded by Regione Piemonte.
*** Includes measurement certificates that in 2006 and 2007 are in Other certificates.

Knowledge transfer - education and training activities of researchers and technicians

Description	2005	2006	2007
Activated PhD with INRIM participation	7	9	10
Theses completed during the year (doctorate, level III)	9	8	6
Theses completed during the year (level II)	12	11	11
Theses completed during the year (level I)	17	35	20
Foreign researchers at INRIM (man-months)	27	15	10
INRIM researchers abroad (man-months)	33	50	35
INRIM seminars with internal experts	27	28	15
INRIM seminars with external experts	25	23	29

In furtherance of INRIM's role as the metrological benchmark for industry, services and government authorities, the Department has operated both in the traditional physics and engi-neering measurement areas and in those areas where the need for traceability to SI units has emerged more recently.
In the more traditional areas the aim of activities is to improve standards, reduce uncertainties in measurement and widen the measurement ranges to cover areas where current capabilities are or will be soon inadequate with respect to the needs of users.
In chemical, environmental and safety, health and quality of life fields, and in the area of nano and biotechnologies, the Department has worked to create directly or stimulate the realization of measurement standards, measurement methods and devices.
The Department has maintained and extended its competencies in the field of magnetic, superconductor, nano-structured materials and quantum information, especially as regards metrological devices and sensors.
In support of the competitiveness of Italian industry (in terms of needs for high quality measurement, traceability to measurement standards, sensor development, correct evaluation of uncertainties in measurement and validation of procedures) the Department has:

• increased knowledge and technological transfer activities as a result of research contracts, filing patents and technical training initiatives for industry and services;
• maintained the current high standard of calibration and testing activities, focusing on satisfying the most demanding needs for measurement capabilities, while transferring other calibration operations to accredited laboratories;
• ensured availability of the Department's technical competencies as support for laboratory accreditation service, legal metrology and standardization activity.

The following table summarizes data concerning calibration, measurement and testing activities, in the period 2005-2007.

Calibration, measurement and testing activities for the period 2005-2007

Division	No. of documents issued
	Calibration certificates	Test reports	Other certificates and reports	Total
E	574	72	-	646
M	490	1	3	494
O	288	91	-	379
T	299	70	13	382
Total 2005	1 651	234	16	1 901
E	587	74	25	686
M	420	-	14	434
O	189	39	13	241
T	235	75	4	314
Total 2006	1 431	188	56	1 675
E	640	38	85	763
M	462	3	9	474
O	251	37	22	310
T	234	119	16	369
Total 2007	1 587	197	132	1 916

This unit provides the necessary administrative, accounting and technical services that cater for the Institute's needs. In particular it provides:

• support activities for internal and external governing and control bodies;
• personnel administration and salary management services;
• financial, asset and accounting services;
• the technical services for functioning of general service systems and maintenance of buildings;
• printing and publication services, organization of conventions, congresses and seminars.

INRIM has introduced a review system based on criteria and quality parameters established by the National Agency for Evaluation of Universities and Research. The President appointed the INRIM Evaluation Committee consisting of six members for the four-year period 2007-2010. Administration and management are evaluated by a dedicated Evaluation Committee.
The Training and Diffusion of Scientific Culture commission coordinates the activities on:

• training of INRIM staff;
• diffusion of scientific culture: cycle of 10 conferences open to an external public, participation in scientific events in the town (opening of labs, "night of researchers",…), organisation of ESOF 2010;
• interface between scientific departments and INRIM library (evaluation of new acquisitions, transmission of requests on organisation);
• promotion of INRIM image (on press, annual report);
• coordination of preparation of INRIM web site;
• coordination of the didactics performed by INRIM researchers.

The QMS satisfies requirements for participation in the CIPM-MRA and agrees with EURAMET guides no. 1, EURAMET's Policy on the Application of Quality Systems in National Metrology Institutes and no. 6, EUROMET Traceability. Specifically during 2007:

• operation of its QMS and its conformity to the ISO/IEC standard 17 025:2005 were assured;
• the QMS document system was reviewed, in order to simplify procedures and operative processes;
• the quality policy statement, based on continuous activity improvement, professional ethics, confidence, competition and cooperation with customers, was revised;
• a scheme for maintaining quality documents under control was defined;
• the QMS realization and operation was verified;
• cooperation with the EURAMET TC-Quality, which expressed a positive evaluation of INRIM QMS status, continued;
• contributions to standardization activities in the fields of quality and measurement instruments were given;
• a software package for managing calibration, measurement and test activities performed at INRIM was analysed and tested;
• a web site on INRIM QMS was designed.

MiUR initially assigned funding of 17 171 k€, but only on December 7, 2007 after the three-year plan 2008-2010 had already been approved, was the definitive normal funding of 19 952 k€ for 2007 communicated, whereas it was indicated that the 2008 figure would be 98% of the 2007 amount. This led to a significant surplus for 2007 and postponements of the commitment of what was then available. The grant corresponded to 13.3 ppm of Italy's GNP.

2007 Incomes (k€)

Operating surplus 2006	1 499.5
MiUR grant (ordinary fund)	19 952.0
Piedmont Regional Authority: funding of research projects presented by INRIM: annual fund	537.4 30.0
Receipts for research contracts	835.4
Consultancy, calibration, test and other activities performed by the Department	1 853.2
Laboratory accreditation activities	800.2
Other receipts (1)	745.7
Total	26 253.4

Excluding the MiUR grant and operating surplus 2006, receipts amounted to 4 802.2 k€, i.e. 18.3 % of the total. Clearing transaction, here not considered, is equal to 4 724.6 k€.

2007 Expenses (k€)

Costs of personnel with permanent and temporary contract, excluding missions	13 915.3
Costs of personnel with research grants and scholarships and of paid co-workers	1 083.4
Missions	287.8
Operating costs for research activities	1 373.8
Overhead expenses (including running costs)	4 677.9
Capital expenditures for research activities	1 611.0
Other capital expenditures	624.2
Carried forward to next budget	2 680.2
Total	26 253.4

Costs of overall personnel (with permanent and temporary contract, research grants and scholarships, paid co-workers) are equal to 15 286.5 k€, i.e. equal to 76.7 % of the MiUR grant (to be compared with 78.4 % in 2006) and are equal to 58.2 % of the total receipts.
The following two tables show expenses data for 2007 divided by unit and activity, and financial resources used in 2007 to cover the relevant expenses.

Expenses of the different units and activities in 2007 (k€)

Unit/activity	Personnel	Consumables		Capital expenditure		Total
		direct	overhead	direct	other
Department	11 445	1 199	3 725	1 553	497	18 418
Laboratory accreditation service	870	51	200	39	200	1 359
Administration and general services	2 756	124	677	20	677	4 255
General INRIM activities	215	0	76	0	76	367
Total	15 287	1 374	4 678	1 611	624	23 573
Calibration, measurement and test activities	1 613	161	500	208	67	2 549

Funding of the different units and activities in 2007

Unit/activity	MiUR fund	Piedmont Region fund	Research contracts	Calibration and test activities	Laboratory accreditation	Other sources	Total
Department	14 104	1 670	791	1 853	-	-	18 418
Laboratory accreditation service	515	0	44	-	800	-	1 359
Administration and general services	1 980	30	0	0	0	2 245	4 255
General INRIM activities	367	0	0	0	0	-	367
Total	16 965	1 700	835	1 853	800	2 245	23 573
Calibration, measurement and test activities	695	-	-	1 853	-	-	2 549

The following table shows data for staff at year-end 2005-2007. Despite the hiring of 7 people at the end of 2007 with the start of the 'stabilisation' process, there was a continual reduction of staff. In 2007 7 persons retired, 1 person moved from INRIM to CNR and 1 moved from CNR to INRIM.

Permanent employees (TI) and fixed-term staff (TD) at year-end 2005-2007

Description	2005		2006		2007
	TI	TD	TI	TD	TI	TD
Researchers and technologists	92	12	88	11	86	11
Technicians	98	7	92	8	93	5
Administration	32	0	30	0	29	0
Total	222	19	210	19	208	16

The next table shows other types of staff (paid co-workers, holders of research allowances) or trainees. In addition to the three grant-holders indicated there were a further three (in E, M and O) with grants from other organisations. In total, around 60 young researchers train at INRIM on subjects of interest to the Institute.

Other staff as at December 31, 2007

Organisation unit	Collaborators	Research grants	Scholarships	Doctorate students	Total
Department	16	18	3	24	61
Administration and general services	1	0	0	0	1
Laboratory accreditation service	2	0	0	0	2
Total	19	18	3	24	64

The following table shows data on the staff occupied in the different unit and activity in 2007, expressed in full time equivalent persons (FTE), with a distinction between:

• personnel TI and TD;
• other personnel (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 2007 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 units and activities in 2007 (FTE)

Unit/activity	Personnel TI and TD	Other personnel	Total
Department	151.3	58.2	209.5
Laboratory accreditation service	12.9	1.7	14.6
Administration and general services	48.5	1.0	49.5
General INRIM activities	5.2	0.4	5.6
Total	218.0	61.3	279.2
Calibration, measurement and test activities	27.1	1.0	28.1

The breakdown of staff by age grant:

Staff	Average age	Median age
TI	47.81	47.20
TD	33.87	34.92