On 20th to 22nd May 2025, the BIPM held three days of events to mark the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Metre Convention. This agreement, signed on 20th May 1875 by 17 founding nations, established the metric system of measurements which in time became the Système international d’unités, more commonly known as “the SI”, and led to the founding of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM).
The three-day event started with a convention “150 Years of the Metre Convention: Science, Innovation & Global Impact” at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, which was a celebration of the achievements of 150 years of the BIPM as well as highlighting current challenges in metrology. Following this, a two-day conference in Versailles entitled “From units to the universe – future revolutions in metrology” featured six sessions covering a variety of topics of current concern and with an eye to the future.
The President of the MSA, Tony Bergen, attended the three-day event representing the CIE (International Commission on Illumination) and the MSA. “It was a great celebration of the vision of those who forged the signing of the Meter Convention 150 years ago and the amazing contribution and influence it has had on the world we know today. Truly a measurement system a tous les temps, a tous les peoples”.
Tony will present a report on the event at the MSA’s Biennial Conference MSA 2025 in Sydney in August 2025
MSA President Tony Bergen (right) with NMI Australia’s Victoria Coleman (left) at the BIPM conference “From units to the universe – future revolutions in metrology” in Versailles, France, May 2025.
