Myanmar had good reason to celebrate at the beginning of February – it was as if World Metrology Day had been preponed. On 4 February 2020, a representative of the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories India (NABL) officially handed over the certificate for a successful assessment of the mass laboratory of the National Institute of Metrology Myanmar (NIMM). The measurement quantity “mass” is thus the first measurement quantity whose calibrations can be carried out by NIMM on an internationally acknowledged basis. A big step for a country which had been largely isolated for decades and which is therefore still at the beginning of its development – not only in the area of quality infrastructure! The successful assessment already took place at the beginning of November last year. After some minor corrections, we received the happy news in December that the mass laboratory would be accredited!
This event required intensive preparatory work of several years. Since the beginning of 2015 the Department of Research and Innovation (DRI) and PTB have been closely and trustfully cooperating in the project of “Strengthening Quality Infrastructure in Myanmar”. This project was the first bilateral project with Myanmar. One of the five components of the project has been explicitly dedicated to setting up accredited services of the partners in the field of metrology: the National Institute for Metrology Myanmar (NIMM). The mass laboratory has been strongly supported as the first measurement quantity, both via technical training and in the development and implementation of quality management. In addition, a comparison with the National Institute of Metrology Thailand (NIMT) was supported by PTB. All this was necessary to be able take the big step at the beginning of November. We all know the result: The accreditation according to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 has been accomplished! Further measurement quantities will follow in the course of the year.
Accreditation means a lot to Myanmar, as local companies can obtain internationally recognized services in their own country now. This saves time and money. So far, these services have only been available abroad. It strengthens the competitiveness of local companies and promotes trade flows in the region and beyond. We are proud that the mass laboratory in Myanmar has been integrated into the community of accredited laboratories, and we congratulate them warmly and look forward to our cooperation! We still have so many plans together!
Photos © Dr. Tin Win, 2020
