Experience of Uruguay Bringing Metrology Closer to the Population

Abstract

LATU is a public-private organization that celebrated its 50th anniversary on 2015.It is the National Metrology Institute (NMI) for Uruguay designated by law (Nº 15298) since 1982. This law indicates that it is LATUˆs responsibility to advise the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining, Legal Metrology authorities, public agencies, industry and trade, on the scientific and technological aspects of Metrology and to disseminate information on the System of Units of Measure in schools and public bodies. Since 2010 LATU has been developing five years strategic plans aiming to raise awareness and transfer useful knowledge on the application and impact of measurements in daily living and professional activity. With this purpose, a set of programs and initiatives have been developed addressing different sectors of activity and audiences: Metrology for present needs: A Metrology training program was implemented to respond to specific Metrology training needs in industry users and secondary calibration and test laboratories as well as regulators and other public agents; Education in Metrology for the future: Awareness raising and metrology training activities were organized for educational actors of different levels: primary, high school, technical and university teachers, including audiovisual products and e-learning technology; Metrology for everyone: Educational activities to create awareness within the population of the importance of Metrology in daily life and defense of people rights were organized in order to transfer Metrology knowledge to general public with emphasis in young people. These activities included a hands-on Metrology workshop and a magazine jointly edited by a group of NMs in our region. The processes followed to accomplish these programs, their results, lessons learned and good practices are shared in this article, together with actual challenges and the definition of new strategies to face them.