The British Testing and Measurement Association (BMTA) welcomes the UK Government’s 2025 Industrial Strategy and affirms that its successful delivery depends fundamentally on the strength of the UK’s calibration, measurement, and testing infrastructure. These technical systems, often operating behind the scenes, are critical enablers of innovation, productivity, and global competitiveness. The strategy’s priority sectors, including advanced manufacturing, clean energy industries, life sciences, and digital technologies, all rely on precise measurement and trusted test data to develop, prove and scale high-value products.
Measurement provides confidence in performance, and testing demonstrates compliance. Together, they offer the objective evidence required to attract investment, meet regulatory requirements, and bring innovation to market. Calibrated measurement and independent testing are essential for ensuring the precision of aerospace components, the efficiency of battery systems, and the accuracy of medical diagnostics, among a vast array of other critical activities. Without these capabilities, even the most ambitious research and development (R&D) breakthroughs cannot be commercialised at scale.
The UK’s National Measurement System and its wider network of laboratories, test houses, and technical experts provide UK businesses with access to internationally recognised services that underpin quality, safety, and performance. These capabilities reduce risk, support faster time-to-market, and enable UK manufacturers to operate with credibility in global supply chains. As the UK seeks to boost exports, the ability to demonstrate that UK goods meet international standards is critical. Robust measurement and test systems form the foundation of that trust, helping to reduce technical barriers to trade by ensuring results are comparable, repeatable, and globally recognised. These objectives are shared by the BMTA, which is committed to promoting the UK’s measurement and testing capabilities in international trade discussions and advocating for policies that support the global recognition of UK conformity assessment.
The BMTA is committed to active engagement with the government and national regulators to ensure that the expertise and perspectives of its members are considered in the development and implementation of new regimes. The BMTA advocates for proactive and effective communication from regulatory bodies, including timely guidance, accessible information on new obligations and a roadmap for implementation to allow businesses to adapt effectively.
Measurement matters. It is not a peripheral support function but a national capability and a critical business service that will determine the success, credibility and exportability of the UK’s industrial future. UK Metrology, conformity assessment and mutual recognition are all central to ensuring UK exporters have a ‘passport to trade’ globally.
We hereby call on the government to explicitly embed the UK’s calibration, measurement and testing infrastructure as a critical enabler of the Industrial Strategy.
