Warnings that US national standards facilities are in ‘alarming physical condition’

The US National Institute of Standards and Technology’s facilities are in serious need of modernisation and require an investment of up to $6.6 billion (£5.5 billion) over the next 12 years, according to a new analysis by the US National Academies. Many of these labs and buildings date back to the 1950s or 1960s, and are in ‘alarming physical condition’ that greatly impairs their functionality and demands major upgrades, warns the committee that wrote the report.

Created in 1901 as the National Bureau of Standards before being renamed Nist in 1988, the agency’s mission is to promote US innovation and industrial competitiveness through measurement science, standards and technology. Its activities include creating tens of thousands of standard reference materials each year for US labs, hospitals and manufacturers. Nist also provides various calibration services, such as those that ensure the correct dosage of radiation is given during treatments and the smooth functioning of fiber optic communications.