The 3rd International Conference on Metrology - Trends and Applications in Calibration and Testing Laboratories - was held in conjunction with the 16th International Conference of the Israel Society for Quality, Tel Aviv, 14-16 November, 2006.
The Conference on Metrology was organized by the Israeli Metrological Society (IMS) with the participation of two international organizations: the National Conference of Standard Laboratories (NCSLI) and the Co-operation on International Traceability in Analytical Chemistry (CITAC). The Conference was co-sponsored also by the International Measurement Confederation (IMEKO).
I am also thankful to the Israeli co-sponsors: the Analytical Chemistry Society, my colleagues from the National Physical Laboratory, the ISAS International Seminars, and especially to the sister organization - the Society for Quality, its Chair Chava Scher and the Chairman of the Conference on Quality Shlomo Lichtenstein - for their helpful understanding and co-operation in organization of this binary event.
Fig. 1. Presidium of the conference. From left to right: Shlomo Lichtenstein, Chava Scher, Ilya Kuselman, Mike Nichols (Chairman of the American Society for Quality, USA), Ziva Patir (Director of the Israel Institution for Standardization), and Yair Ramati (VP Marketing, Israel Aircraft Industries).
About 1900 professionals in quality and specialists in metrology (measurement, calibration and testing, including chemical analysis) from 23 countries, mostly from Israel, had a unique opportunity to network with each other, interact with the senior management and to learn how to convey the "message" to as many people as possible.
A combined commercial exhibition of measuring instruments and quality products attracted numerous participants of the two Conferences on Metrology and Quality.
Each day the first two hours of the conference agenda were dedicated to the plenary sessions, to be attended by participants of both the Quality and the Metrology Conferences. For example, the plenary session on November 16 featured two lectures: 1) "Quality, Leadership and Ethics" by Prof. Avishai Braverman, member of the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) and President of the Ben Gurion University in Beer Sheva, and 2) "Metrology: Essential to Trade, Industry and Society" by Dr. Robert Kaarls, The Netherlands, the Secretary of the International Committee for Weights and Measures and President of the Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance - Metrology in Chemistry.
After the plenary lectures the participants of the Conference on Metrology worked in two parallel sessions, one on traditional physical fields of measurement and calibration, and the second one on metrology in chemistry including quality standards in testing laboratories, concepts of test results, proficiency testing, etc. Seven CITAC members contributed to the sessions on metrology in chemistry: Ms. Vera Poncano (Chair), Brazil, myself (Vice-Chairman), Dr. Robert Kaarls, Dr. Ed De Leer, The Netherlands, Prof. Paul De Bievre, Belgium, Prof. Miloslav Suchanek, Czech Republic, and Prof. Yuri Karpov, Russia. In addition a poster session covering almost all fields of metrology took place on the first day of the conference.
The Conference had a strong practical focus and was aimed at helping participants learn and develop new tools and techniques that could improve accuracy/quality of measurement, calibration and testing/analytical results. At the end of each conference day, general sessions were organized for all the participants interested in metrology. On the first day it was the session titled "New Trends in Metrology". It included the lecture by Dr. Tamas Kemeny (former General Secretary of IMEKO), Hungary, on the latest trends in measuring instrumentation and IMEKO activity, and the lecture by Prof. Paul De Bievre (Editor in Chief of the International Journal "Accreditation and Quality Assurance") on the ongoing re-determination of the Avogadro constant and possible redefinition of the SI Kg. On the second day, at the general session "New Terminology and Ethics in Metrology", Prof. Paul De Bievre talked on the need for intercontinentally understood concepts and terms for metrology (new VIM issue), and Mr. Steve Sidney (Manager of the National Laboratory Association, South Africa) discussed ethical problems in the laboratories. The final general session held on the third conference day was dedicated to analysis of the experience of calibration and testing laboratories presented by the Israeli lecturers Mr. Eitan Sharon, Dr. Boris Katz and Dr. David Kisets. It was completed by the panel "New Challenges in Metrology" chaired by Dr. Robert Kaarls.
An attractive social program included gala banquet and tours allowed to the conference participants to enjoy exploring the Land of Israel, the birthplace of the three great monotheistic religions.
Dr. Ilya Kuselman
Chairman of the Conference