Hooray! The meter is 150 years old
The Meter Convention is an important foundation of our modern society.
Published on May 27, 2025
Our DATA+ expert, Elcke Vels, explores AI, cyber security, and Dutch innovation. Her "What if..." column imagines bold scenarios beyond the norm.
Just over 150 years ago, an important moment took place: the signing of the Meter Convention. This international agreement marked the beginning of standardization in measurement and weights and measures. Metrology—the art and science of measurement—is the silent force behind virtually everything that keeps our modern society running smoothly. “And with the advent of autonomous driving and a flexible energy system, accurate measurement is becoming even more important,” says Marijn van Veghel, program director at VSL: the Metrology Institute of the Netherlands.
We rarely think about it, but units such as the meter, kilogram, and ampere form the silent foundation of our society. Whether it concerns climate research, food safety, medical technology, or a stable energy supply, accurate measurement is simply indispensable.
In 1875, the Meter Convention was signed by 17 countries. By January 2021, 63 countries had signed the treaty. The treaty established three organizations with the aim of achieving international standardization of weights and measures.
A milestone, according to Van Veghel. “Without a common standard, it would be difficult to build even a simple box, let alone an airplane or a chip machine. Thanks to a single set of units, we can agree worldwide on what we mean when we talk about length, weight, time, or temperature.”
Society demands increasingly accurate measurement
Standardized measurement standards have always been useful, for example, for trading goods. However, today's world demands increasingly accurate measurements. Van Veghel: "Take the very first computer, for example—a large, clunky machine. Compare that to your smartphone today: many times more powerful, but packed into something that fits in your pocket. Everything is in there—a screen, audio, battery—and all in a tiny format. However, that also means that each component must be measured and produced with extreme precision." This trend can be seen everywhere. In the automotive industry, for example, we want more fuel-efficient and reliable cars, and that requires everything to be much more precisely coordinated.
The Netherlands: a world leader
The Netherlands has always been good at accurate measurement. Van Veghel: “You can see that in companies such as ASML, which is a world leader in the manufacture of extremely precise chip machines. During the production process, they continuously measure whether each layer has been applied perfectly. To do this, they use advanced measuring systems that they develop themselves.” The Netherlands also manufactures precision measuring instruments for the space sector. Think of organizations such as TNO, which designs instruments for satellites that collect data on climate and air quality.
VSL also makes an important contribution. “At VSL, we focus primarily on measurements that are directly relevant to society and industry.” Energy is an important domain, he says. VSL has a long-standing expertise in measuring natural gas. “And we have expanded into LNG, biogas, and hydrogen. Think of measuring quantity, composition, and purity—crucial for hydrogen cars, for example, where pollution can damage the fuel cell.” The institute is also active in the electricity sector. "For example, we measure energy losses in transformers. This is important for making the grid more efficient. We also look at smart meters: how do you ensure that they remain reliable, even with all the malfunctions that modern equipment causes?"
VSL has also recently started playing a role in the field of AI. Modern machines, such as those used in hospitals, contain more and more sensors and therefore provide more and more measurement information. It is a major challenge for AI to interpret all these signals correctly. You have to take into account the origin of the signal and ensure that you are not responding to noise but to reliable measurements. “In applications like these, you don't want an AI to draw the wrong conclusions. That's why this is an important focus point in our roadmap for this year. We are doing this together with other European metrology institutes.”
At the beginning of June, VSL will present its new digitization strategy together with other metrology institutes during a European meeting. Van Veghel concludes: “This builds on 150 years of classical metrology and marks a joint step towards a digital future. Together, we will ensure that Europe is ready for the next 150 years.”
