On the deep integration of the metrological calibration industry and the Internet

On the deep integration of the metrological calibration industry and the Internet

On February 21, 2014, the General Office of the State Council forwarded the "Notice on the Implementation Opinions for the Integration of Inspection, Testing and Certification Institutions" (Guo Ban Fa [2014] No. 8) issued by the Central Committee for Institutional Organization and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine. The notice clearly stipulated the integration review centers within the quality inspection system and the establishment of a special equipment professional inspection and testing group with assets as the link, and put forward guiding opinions on the integration of inspection, testing and certification institutions. The reform of public institutions is extremely urgent, and the characteristics of marketization of metrological calibration are increasingly prominent.

In accordance with the "Notice on Clearing and Regulating a Batch of Administrative and Institutional Fees and Relevant Policies" (Cai Shui [2017] No. 20) issued by the Ministry of Finance, starting from April 1, 2017, all levels of quality inspection departments across the country have stopped charging for the compulsory verification of measuring instruments for enterprises. The introduction of the policy of stopping compulsory verification charges marks the return of legal metrology institutions to metrological verification and also indicates that metrological calibration will fully move towards a market-oriented system.

I. Background of the Marketization of Metrological Calibration

The marketization of the metrology calibration market meets China's commitment requirements under the World Trade Organization agreements.

The World Trade Organization's Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (WTO/TBT) requires all member states to abide by the relevant principles of the World Trade Organization and open up the calibration market. Some Western countries, in order to gain a competitive edge in this market, have provided strong support to their national calibration institutions both technically and in terms of policy, helping them become independently operated calibration and testing service institutions that operate according to market mechanisms. As a result, a number of well-known calibration and inspection multinational companies have emerged (such as SGS, TUV, UKS, UL, etc.). The development of these institutions not only protects the interests of consumers but also directly generates significant economic benefits. Currently, against the backdrop of economic globalization and integration, this technological advantage can be utilized to rationally set technical trade barriers in accordance with WTO rules, thereby better safeguarding the economic interests of one's own country. The WTO stipulates that the calibration and testing fields must operate according to market mechanisms and also requires the opening up of the domestic metrology and testing markets.

The marketization of the metrology calibration market meets the requirements of the construction of China's socialist market economy.

For the metrology service market, the state manages compulsory verification metrology instruments and non-compulsory verification metrology instruments separately. This is precisely because if compulsory verification metrology instruments were to operate under market mechanisms, market failure would occur. Therefore, government regulation is necessary. For instance, metrology instruments used in trade settlement, due to consumers' disadvantaged position in obtaining information on the qualification of metrology instruments and the indeterminate nature of the consumer group, market mechanisms cannot ensure fair transactions between both parties. Thus, government intervention is needed to help consumers obtain such information. In contrast, the beneficiaries of metrology services for non-compulsory verification metrology instruments are generally enterprises and institutions themselves. Such services are typically characterized by competition and exclusivity, and therefore, it is more appropriate for the market mechanism to provide them.

3) The marketization of metrological calibration eliminates the drawbacks of the existing metrological management system.

The main feature of the current measurement management system in our country is administrative monopoly. Administrative monopoly is market entry prohibition implemented in the name of the government, which is different from the monopoly forms in a market economy, such as market monopoly formed due to innovation or market monopoly formed due to competitive strength. As administrative monopoly can eliminate all current and potential legitimate competitors of the monopolistic operator, it often leads to distorted economic behavior, low economic efficiency, and suppression of supply and demand in the measurement service industry. More seriously, the special vested interests formed by long-term administrative monopoly, due to the lagging charging system and behavioral inertia, will hinder the measurement industry from making sensitive and effective responses to changes in technology and market demands. For instance, the allocation of resources in the measurement service market is unreasonable, and measurement technology institutions have a pattern of being "low, small, scattered, heavy, and weak". Generally, technical institutions lack the awareness of market entities and are not good at discovering and developing new businesses from the perspective of social and market demands.

Therefore, with the acceleration of economic globalization and integration, the mutual restrictive barriers in international trade are gradually being broken down. Measurement systems and technologies are also becoming increasingly internationalized. To open up the domestic market, the calibration and testing fields must operate in accordance with market mechanisms. Thus, the opening up of the calibration market is an inevitable requirement for China's integration into the world trade.

II. The Role of Marketization in Metrological Calibration

First, the role of values and concepts should be considered. Establishing a mechanism where prices are mainly determined by the market is a key condition for developing the metrology calibration market. At the same time, metrology standard instruments should not be purchased repeatedly by testing institutions in various regions, counties, and cities. Instead, the value of metrology standard instrument resources in the region should be fully utilized.

In fact, it serves to enhance horizontal connections. Information on metrological calibration is related to all aspects of the national economy's technology. Only through information exchange can good cooperation be achieved among each other, promoting the integration of the national economy into a complete system and linking metrology with all departments and enterprises across the entire society.

3) Thirdly, the service has been improved. After the formation of the metrological calibration market, metrological calibration technology, information and related services enter the market as commodities to participate in circulation and competition. The buyers will inevitably put forward strict requirements on the reliability, impartiality and economy of the information and technology. The "sellers" must take corresponding measures to ensure that the "commodities" meet certain standards and provide buyers with standard-compliant services, which is conducive to improving the quality of metrological calibration personnel.

4) Finally, it has facilitated the transformation of information achievements. The development of the marketization of metrological calibration can promote the utilization of new products, new technologies and metrological testing information, accelerate the transformation into social productive forces, and promote the development of metrological testing departments and the transformation of metrological research achievements.

Therefore, under the new market economy operation mechanism, the opening of the calibration market and the competition of resources, technology, talents and services bring us both opportunities and challenges. Only by adapting to the market operation mechanism, relying on ourselves, optimizing and integrating social calibration resources, constantly developing and strengthening ourselves in market competition, and providing better services, can we continuously improve our own strength and market competitiveness and occupy a place in the calibration market.

III. The Concept of "Internet Plus"

The "Internet Plus" is a new economic form that deeply integrates the booming Internet information technology with traditional industries. Starting from the basic point of "Internet + traditional industries", "Internet Plus" continuously extends, relying on the latest progress made in the frontier fields such as big data, Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence based on Internet information technology, to optimize or reconstruct the traditional industry systems and models, thereby helping to achieve industrial transformation and upgrading as well as the enhancement of social productivity. Against the backdrop of economic globalization, in order to further enhance its international economic status and optimize its position in the international economic interest distribution chain, China has made "Internet Plus" a key research focus that is strongly supported by the state. In November 2014, at the World Internet Conference held, the slogan was proposed that the Internet is a new tool for mass entrepreneurship and innovation.

In light of the current market environment and the state's emphasis on metrology calibration, "Internet + metrology" has become an inevitable market trend. How to serve customer needs and make full use of resources has also become an opportunity and challenge that metrology professionals face together nowadays.