The Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica (INRIM) is a public body under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research. INRIM is devoted to the study of the science of measurements and to research into materials; furthermore it works on developing innovative technologies and devices.
Performing the duties of primary metrological Institute, INRIM realises the primary standards for the basic and derived units of the International System of units (SI), assures the maintenance of such standards, their international comparison, provides the national measurements traceability to the SI, represents Italy in international metrological organisms.
Its main research activities deal with the fundamental physical constants (e.g. Avogadro and Boltzmann constant), new primary standards, innovative materials, nanotechnology, quantum technologies (quantum information, imaging and metrology) metrology for chemistry and artificial vision.
INRIM supports local and European technological innovation for industry, participates in EU research programmes (e.g. it's partner in the Galileo project as for Time metrology), collaborates for the accreditation of the calibration laboratories in Italy, provides technical certification and consultancy services, promotes and divulges research supervising diffusion of the results by scientific literature, in the productive sectors and in the society.
INRIM has its main premises in Turin, Strada delle Cacce 91; further operational centres are located in Turin and Pavia.