TUBITAK is the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye. UME (TUBITAK UME) is the NMI of Türkiye operating under the authority of TUBITAK. TUBITAK UME has substantial experience in all metrological activities the field of hardness. It has been accredited to ISO 17025 by TURKAK since 2005, has 14 CMCs in hardness, is participating in CIPM/CCM WGH, ISO TC 164 SC3, IMEKO TC5, EURAMET WG Hardness and accreditation related work in coordination with TURKAK. TUBITAK has experience in designing and development of many primary HSMs and optical measuring systems, currently used as national standards and primary systems. TUBITAK coordinates the project and will contribute to all WPs, and will lead WP4 and WP6.

BEV PTP is the NMI of Austria, operates a comprehensive quality management system which covers all activities in metrology and fulfils the requirements on the competence of testing and calibration laboratories of EN ISO/IEC 17025. It cooperates with metrological organisations on the international level in the framework of the Metre Convention, OIML, EURAMET and WELMEC in order to ascertain the worldwide uniformity of measurement units. BEV PTP is in the process of improving its capabilities in the realisation of hardness, based on recent experiences gained by the design and construction in the field of dead weight FSMs. BEV PTP will contribute to WP2, WP5 and WP6.

CMI is the NMI of Czechia, and as such ensures the consistency and accuracy of measuring devices and measurements in all fields of scientific, technical and economic activity. CMI ensures the fulfilment of tasks resulting from membership in the EU and in international metrological bodies and organisations (BIPM, CIPM, OIML, EURAMET) and international agreements and arrangements (Metre Convention, CIPM MRA Agreement). CMI’s Department of Hardness and Roughness is accredited by the Czech Institute for Accreditation according to the standard EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017 for the calibration of hardness measuring blocks and indentation probes. The Department has three national hardness standards for Rockwell, Vickers and Brinell. CMI will contribute to WP2, WP3, WP5 and WP6.

GUM is a public scientific research body that performs the functions of a NMI for Poland, constituting the presidium of a large part of metrology. GUM creates, maintains and develops the national reference standards of the seven basic units of the International System (SI) and their respective derived units. It has member status in different metrological organisations: international BIPM (including CCM-WGH), OIML and regional EURAMET, WELMEC, IMEKO (TC5), AIC. GUM maintains a quality management system according to the EN ISO/IEC 17025 and EN 45011. GUM actively cooperates in the field of hardness with other NMIs (i.e. INRIM, CMI) and companies. GUM will contribute to WP2, WP5 and WP6.

IMBiH is the NMI of Bosnia and Herzegovina and a self-governing institution under the Council of Ministers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In accordance with the Law on Metrology of BIH, IMBiH establishes, develops and leads the national metrology system, and represents it in the corresponding international organisations. It is responsible for the enforcement of laws and bylaws and for research and development in the field of metrology. IMBiH was involved in numerous EMRP and EMPIR projects and has CMCs in mass and related quantities. IMBiH will contribute to WP3, WP5 and WP6.

INRIM is a public scientific research body that performs the functions of a NMI for Italy, constituting the presidium of a large part of metrology. INRIM creates, maintains and develops the national reference standards of the seven basic units of the International System (SI) and their respective derived units. Since the 1970s INRIM has been developing its own primary hardness reference standard machines (from micro to macro ranges in all hardness scales for metallic materials) and instrumentation for indenter characterisation which were adopted by several other NMIs in the following years. INRIM has 15 CMCs in hardness, has been the proposer of CIPM/CCM WGH (Chair for 18 years) and is participating in ISO TC 164 SC3, IMEKO TC5, EURAMET TC-M/WG Hardness (coordinator). INRIM has experience in designing and development of many primary HSMs and optical and geometrical measuring systems, currently used as national standards and primary systems in many NMIs and calibration laboratories. INRIM will contribute to all WPs and will lead WP3.

PTB is the NMI of Germany. PTB ensures the traceability of the SI units in legal areas and the fulfilment of tasks resulting from membership in the EU and in international metrological bodies and organisations (BIPM, CIPM, OIML, EURAMET) and international agreements and arrangements (Metre Convention, CIPM MRA Agreement). The Working Group of Hardness Metrology in PTB has substantial experience in all metrological activities in the field of hardness. It is a participant to the international standardisation committee ISO TC 164 SC3, CCM WGH from CIPM (Chair), TC-M from EURAMET and TC 5 from IMEKO. It maintains realisations of all international standardised scales in hardness. For all recommended hardness scales Brinell, Vickers exist CMC entry. PTB has experience optical and tactile surface measuring. PTB will contribute to all WPs and will lead the WP1 and WP2.

INM is a public institution in the Republic of Moldova subordinated to the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure, which implements at national level the policy in the field of metrology by assuring the uniformity, legacy, accuracy and traceability of measurements in the Republic of Moldova. INM conducts its activity based on a Regulation of Organisation and Functioning, focusing on two main directions: legal metrology and applied metrology. INM organises and participates in technical-scientific research of measuring instruments and/or measurements in various areas of public interest. INM is accredited to ISO 17025 by the MOLDAC (Moldavian Accreditation Body) since 2015. Currently, INM is in the process of development of capability. INM will contribute to WP4, WP5 and WP6.

POLITO, the Politecnico di Torino has for 160 years been one of the most prestigious public institutions at both the International and the Italian levels concerning education, research, technological transfer, and services in all sectors of architecture and engineering. The research unit provides the consortium with a strong background in quality engineering and industrial metrology having a long and deep experience on hardness tests. It has focused its current research on the application of artificial intelligence methods for the geometric and mechanical characterisation of technological surfaces, and the development of simulative approaches for calibration and uncertainty evaluation based on measurement system modelling. POLITO will contribute to WP1, WP2, WP3, WP5 and WP6.

UNZE, University of Zenica, is a public institution with nine organisational units. Among them, Institute “Kemal Kapetanović” deals with scientific and technological research. The Institute has four centres: Centre for metallic materials and technology, Centre for non-metallic materials and technologies, Centre for polytechnic and Centre for environment protection. Five laboratories (three testing and two calibration) are accredited by BATA (Bosnia and Herzegovina body for accreditation). The Mechanical Calibration Laboratory has accreditation since 1998 according to ISO 17025 and has extensive experience in the calibration of HTMs. UNZE will contribute in WP2, WP3, WP5 and WP6.

ZAG is an internationally recognised research organisation that operates in various areas of industry. Several departments deal with sustainable construction, recycling, energy efficiency and cultural heritage, while the Laboratory for Metrology maintains reference standards for force and hardness in Slovenia and performs calibrations. ZAG is accredited to EN ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO 9001 and participates in CIPM/CCM WGH, IMEKO TC5 and in DKD Deutschen Kalibrierdienst. ZAG with significant experience in hardness metrology will undertake leadership of WP5, and will contribute to WP1, WP3 and WP6.

EASYDUR was founded in 1985 with the aim of creating new measuring instruments with the experience already gained in the design and construction of hardness testers and of spring testing. EASYDUR was the first company to fit a camera on hardness testers for Brinell tests. The company has designed and developed state-of-the-art measuring and testing equipment. Today it has a complete range of measuring instruments for tensile-compression, torsion, hardness tests and, last but not least, vision systems for image analysis. The latter have been adopted by national and international customers in a wide range of sectors such as aeronautics, automotive, railways, mills, forges, foundries, and top universities. EASYDUR will contribute to WP3, WP5 and WP6.

LTF has many years of experience in the field of manufacturing, testing and setting-up of measuring instruments, equipment and machine tools for high precision machining. With its reference brand GALILEO® for excellence in Hardness Testing, its Primary Hardness Standardising Machines, developed in close co operation with the INRIM, have been operating with success for over twenty years in the NMIs of the USA, United Kingdom, Italy, Turkey, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, India, Romania, Russia and Korea. Since 1993, LTF is accredited according to ISO 17025 by ACCREDIA (the Italian Accreditation Body) for calibrations in hardness and length fields. LTF will contribute to WP3, WP5 and WP6.

MPA NRW is the Material Testing Department of North Rhine-Westphalia (Materialprüfungsamt Nordrhein-Westfalen) and has been active in the field of inspection, testing, certification, and calibration since 1947 to support the local economy. Due to many years of activity in the field of calibration of hardness reference blocks, indenters, and hardness testing machines, the MPA has a high level of experience and competence in these areas. The calibration laboratory of the MPA NRW is accredited by the DAkkS (German Accreditation body) according to ISO 17025 for the calibration of hardness reference blocks and indenters, used in hardness testers. The MPA NRW is also participating in the DIN (German standardisation body) and in the ISO TC 164 SC3. MPA NRW will contribute to WP1, WP5 and WP6.