Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science

A government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT that establishes, maintains, and disseminates the Republic of Korea's national measurement standards.

Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science

Overview

The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS; 한국표준과학연구원) is a government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT (과학기술정보통신부) that establishes, maintains, and disseminates the Republic of Korea's national measurement standards and researches and develops advanced measurement science and technology. It was established in 1975 and has its headquarters in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon. It serves as a national standards institution supporting measurement reliability across industry, science, medicine, environment, and other national sectors. Under the motto "Measurement creates trust," it manages the highest-level standards of national measurement standards and participates in international comparisons.

Establishment Background and History

As Korean industry grew in earnest in the 1970s, national demand for precision measurement and standardization increased. Accordingly, after launching as the Korea Standards Research Institute in 1975, it changed its name to the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science in 1991 and expanded and reorganized into a research institute encompassing measurement science as a whole. Since then, it has secured legal status as the representative institution for national measurement standards and has participated in the activities of the International Committee for Weights and Measures under the Metre Convention (CGPM) and in international Key Comparisons, gaining international recognition for Korea's measurement capabilities.

Organization

The headquarters comprises research departments in various measurement fields, including mass and mechanics, length and time, electricity and magnetism, temperature and radiation, materials and substances, bio and medical, and nano and semiconductor. Each department operates the prototypes and standard systems of the national measurement standards, and also serves as a national calibration institution providing calibration, testing, and certification services to industry, universities, and public institutions. In addition to its Daejeon headquarters, it has established a nationwide standards dissemination system through regional hubs and cooperative networks.

Major Research Areas

First, establishing fundamental measurement standards in physics, chemistry, and life sciences. Representative examples include time and frequency standards, time standards based on cesium atomic clocks, and research responding to the redefinition of mass and electrical units. Second, developing ultra-precision measurement technologies for advanced industries such as nano, semiconductors, and displays. Third, bio and medical measurement standards, developing reference materials and standard measurement methods that guarantee the accuracy of diagnostic and therapeutic equipment. Fourth, research is conducted on greenhouse gas measurement in climate, environment, and energy fields, air pollution standards, and new energy measurement technologies such as hydrogen and batteries. Fifth, research on next-generation measurement standards using quantum technology (quantum sensors, optical lattice clocks, etc.) has become a core pillar.

Major Achievements and Roles

KRISS secured independent measurement technologies in response to the redefinition of the International System of Units (SI) (the 2019 redefinition of the kilogram, ampere, kelvin, and mole), and contributes to improving the product reliability and export competitiveness of domestic industries. In addition, by maintaining the international equivalence of national standards, it provides the basis for mutual recognition (MRA) of overseas calibration certificates. It supports the quality infrastructure of the industrial ecosystem through measurement uncertainty evaluation, reference material production, proficiency testing, and more.

Latest Trends

As of 2024–2025, KRISS is concentrating its capabilities on securing measurement standards in quantum technology and national strategic technology fields such as semiconductors, batteries, and bio. Next-generation time and frequency standards and ultra-precision optical lattice clock development for the era of quantum computing and quantum sensing are being pursued through international joint research, and semiconductor fine-process metrology and advanced packaging measurement technologies are expanding in line with industry demand. Measurement standards for quantitatively evaluating the performance and safety of secondary batteries, flow rate and purity measurement technology for the hydrogen economy, and securing the reliability of greenhouse gas measurement for carbon neutrality are also major agendas. In addition, in line with digital transformation, research on standardization and interoperability of measurement data and AI-based measurement automation is increasing, and cooperation with the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) and national standards institutions of various countries is being strengthened. There is a clear trend of reorganizing the organization and research portfolio to increase the industrial spillover effects of measurement standards in connection with the government's national standards policy.