Our History

A union between science and commerce

NPL was founded in 1900 for "standardising and verifying instruments, for testing materials, and for the determination of physical constants." We are one of the oldest standardising laboratories in the world.

Now an established world-class centre of excellence, we maintain the UK’s primary standards of measurement, while simultaneously delivering innovations to improve prosperity and quality of life for those living in the UK. Almost 125 years since we were first established, we still remain true to our core mission.

Since its establishment, the research work at NPL has included all branches of physics, light, electricity and magnetism, radio communication, engineering, metallurgy, aeronautics and ship design. Some of the world’s most significant innovations have origins at NPL, including radar; packet switching, the forebearer of the internet; the ACE computer; and the caesium atomic clock.

Read ' The History of NPL'