From steam engines to smart grids, every industrial revolution has relied on one silent partner: measurement. Each era’s technological breakthroughs have been built on the ability to quantify, compare and trust measurements.

At the BIPM–UNESCO World Metrology Day Symposium, held during the 150th Anniversary of the Metre Convention, Dr Nathalie von Siemens, Member of the Advisory Board at Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Germany, explored how measurement science underpins both historical progress and future innovation.

Speaking to the BIPM before the Symposium, she reflected on why metrology has been a decisive force behind industrial change, noting in the discussion that “the industrial revolution, with all the good that it brought, would not have been possible without [standards, measurements and therefore] metrology.” Watch the clip.

In the same conversation, Dr von Siemens looked ahead to the technological transitions now shaping the future. She highlighted how measurement continues to provide the foundation for emerging smart systems like the smart cities of the future. These cities are “basically a sensor network,” she emphasizes “And for sensors, we need to be able to measure.” Watch the clip.

Her keynote address at #BIPM150 expanded on these themes —showing how reliable measurements enable everything from manufacturing and energy systems to artificial intelligence, and reminding us that the next wave of innovation will depend not just on technology, but on trust.

Watch Dr von Siemens' Keynote Address

[40 minutes]