Major Milestones
Establishing National Measurement Standards to Remove Global Trade Barriers
Measurement standards are a foundation upon which global trade, medicine and healthcare, public safety, environmental protection, industrial innovation, technological development, and a flourishing economy develop. In 1987, the Ministry of Economic Affairs commissioned ITRI to set up and operate the National Measurement Laboratory (NML) to maintain domestic measurement standards. As the highest-level measurement standards agency in Taiwan, the NML was tasked with establishing national measurement standards, and received ISO 9001 certification in 1995. ITRI established 15 measurement laboratories to cover dimension, mass, force, pressure, vacuum, electricity, magnetics, microwave, photometry and radiometry, vibration, acoustics, temperature, humidity, chemistry, and fluid and flow. By 2022, NML had established a total of 116 standard measurement systems which satisfy domestic level-one measurement equipment traceability and calibration demands.
In 2002, ITRI helped Taiwan break through diplomatic barriers by joining the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM). Taiwan signed the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA) and registered its Calibration and Measurement Capability (CMC) in the database of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM). Since then, calibration reports issued by Taiwan authorities have been recognized by signatory countries and organizations of the CIPM MRA, thus ensuring the protection of Taiwanese industries’ fair-trade rights in the global market. BIPM used the Planck constant to redefine the kilogram in 2018; and in the same year, ITRI began to use mass standard silicon spheres manufactured by the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Germany to accurately represent the newly-defined kilogram and ensure that Taiwan can maintain accurate measurement standards and traceability.
ITRI joined the US National Conference of Standards Laboratories (NCSL). This was Taiwan’s first entry into the measurement sector.
ITRI established the measurement equipment calibration laboratory which was later certified as Taiwan’s national standard laboratory by the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The laboratory began to officially provide services to industry in May of the same year.
ITRI signed the Mutual Recognition Arrangement of National Measurement System with South Africa’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). This partnership became the foundation of future international collaborations in the measurement sector.
ITRI collaborated with the Finnish Geodetic Institute (FGI) to set up two major standard baseline fields and 0–432 meter length standards in Taiwan. These standards are important length- and distance-measuring references for major national construction projects.
ITRI Taiwan took part in the Asia-Pacific Metrology Programme conference as an observer. The 18 member countries unanimously agreed to allow Taiwan to become an official member.
ITRI procured the platinum-iridium kilogram prototype (No. 78) from the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM).
ITRI received ISO9001 certification.
ITRI used the 633 nm iodine stabilized He-Ne laser as the suggested radiation to serve as the primary measurement standard for length. This established Taiwan’s measurement traceability capacities in this field.
ITRI the National Flow Calibration Laboratory officially began operation. It assisted in large-volume flow calibrations and measurement traceability issues concerning all types of oils and petroleum, natural gas, and tap water to safeguard the public’s consumer rights.
ITRI passed US FDA reviews and became Asia’s first certified review organization for 510(k) medical devices.
ITRI became an Associate Member of the International Committee for Weights & Measures (CIPM) and signed the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA). The latter indicated that Taiwan and other member countries would mutually recognize calibration and testing reports issued by their national measurement and standard agencies.
The Optoelectronic Semiconductor Measurement Laboratory became the first national-level LED measurement laboratory in Taiwan to obtain Chinese National Laboratory Accreditation (CNLA) certification.
ITRI became Taiwan’s first institution to provide third-party verification services for liquid density reference materials and electronic density meters. Measurement and calibration of oil density, alcoholic proof, milk fat proportion, blood biochemistry reference value, etc. are carried out in order to provide holistic liquid density verification services and credible testing reports.
ITRI was certified by the Taiwan Accreditation Foundation (TAF) as Taiwan’s first nano-scale measurement laboratory.
The Photovoltaic Test Laboratory was certified as an IEC 61215 CB Testing Laboratory (CBTL) by the IECEE. This was the first certified lab of this kind in Taiwan, and made Taiwan the only non-IECEE member country in the world to obtain such certification.
ITRI obtained certification from the U.S. National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP), possessing laboratory qualifications for conducting LED lumen maintenance (LM-80) testing and Energy Star testing. It is capable of providing immediate international accreditation and professional LM-80 lumen testing verification services for domestic LED packaging with credible testing reports.
The LED Testing Laboratory obtained CBTL certifications for lamp safety regulations and LED modules, making it the first LED testing laboratory in Taiwan to obtain CBTL certification.
ITRI began to adopt the mass standard of silicon sphere developed by the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), and established a new International System of Units (SI) measurement standard.
ITRI was approved by the US FDA review once again, and expanded the number of medical device review items to 114. It remained as the only certified review organization for 510(k) medical devices in Asia.
