The BIPM and the Italian Physical Society ran the highly successful joint Metrology School "New frontiers for metrology: from biology and chemistry to quantum and data science" at the International School of Physics Enrico Fermi in Varenna (Italy), from 4-12 July 2019. The school was jointly organized with INRIM and this was the seventh summer school in metrology held since 1976. A total of 81 applications were received from 25 different countries and 56 students and observers were selected to participate.

Sponsorship by METAS, the Swiss NMI, under the auspices of the BIPM CBKT programme, provided opportunities for a number of participants to attend from NMIs/DIs of Member States or Associates that have emerging metrology systems. These award winners were able to combine their attendance at the Metrology School with a short (two- to six week) placement at METAS to pursue a specific metrology topic of interest. The grant was aimed at young metrologists with strong scientific ability and potential and who are expected to be the 'high flyers' of tomorrow.

The Metrology School had a world-class line-up of 22 lecturers including five from the BIPM and the Nobel laureate Prof. William Phillips. There were numerous opportunities for the students and lecturers to network informally at events outside the lectures, providing opportunities to form useful contacts for the future.

The Varenna Metrology School consisted of modules on physical and chemical metrology as well as fundamental issues common to all parts of metrrology.