Welcome by the ICA
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you on behalf of the International Commission for Acoustics (ICA), to the 23rd International Congress on Acoustics (ICA 2019) in Aachen.
The mission of the ICA is to promote international development and collaboration in all fields of acoustics, and a major means of achieving this goal is the International Congress on Acoustics held every three years in a different region of the world. Six years ago, the organization of the 23rd International Congress on Acoustics was commended to the German Acoustical Society (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Akustik, DEGA) which made an excellent job in preparing the event. In particular, I would like to thank the Congress Chair, Michael Vorländer, the Congress Co-Chair, Janina Fels, the Program Chair, Martin Ochmann and the members of all the Committees that worked hard over the last three years to prepare a rich program covering all fields of acoustics. The Congress participants will have the opportunity to listen to five distinguished plenary speakers, to attend numerous technical sessions and discuss recent developments in all the areas of acoustics. In addition, they will be able to visit the technical exhibition on latest advances in acoustical products and solutions and also to enjoy the beauty of the historical city of Aachen. The organizers prepared everything in the most efficient way and I am sure the ICA 2019 will be a model for all future ICA Congresses.
ICA invests on the young generation of acousticians. This year, the board of the ICA with the support of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) and the DEGA provided 58 "Young Scientist Conference Attendance Grants" on the basis of excellence that will help young acousticians from all over the world to come to Aachen and present their work in an audience of distinguished acousticians.
It should be pointed out that the ICA 2019 is in fact a major event on Acoustics world-wide as it integrates the 4th EAA Euroregio 2019, the EAA Summer School, and three satellite Symposia held in Germany, France, The Netherlands, and Belgium. Thus, the heart of the acoustics will beat this year for more than 10 days in Central Europe. Thus, ICA 2019 can be considered as a precursor of the International Year of Sound 2020, which is an initiative of the ICA aiming to bring, by means of numerous world-wide events to be held in 2020, the message of the importance of sound for the society and the whole world.
Many thanks to the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) for their support to the Conference, to all the Conference Sponsors and above all to all of you for attending the Conference, thus contributing actively to its success.
Michael Taroudakis,
President of the International Commission of Acoustics
Welcome by the EAA
On behalf of the European Acoustics Association (EAA), it is my great pleasure to welcome all of you to the 23rd International Congress on Acoustics, ICA 2019, that is going to be held in the beautiful and historic city of Aachen, Germany, between 9th and 13th, September, 2019.
The ICA Congresses, being one of the most important Forums for those around the world working in all areas of Acoustics, integrates, this time, an EAA event called EUROREGIO 2019, with invited papers focusing on European projects, educational programs, standards, and legislation.
The European Acoustics Association is proud to contribute and be partner of this huge gathering, which attracts and concentrates scientists, researchers, practitioners, exhibitors, interested people, and students, coming from all over the world, aiming to the progress and promotion of acoustics and its related matters.
I want to express my sincere thanks for the commitment, dedication and involvement of the EAA National Societies that have taken in charge the organization of EUROREGIO 2019, respectively: The Belgian Acoustical Society (ABAV), the German Acoustical Society (DEGA) and the Dutch Acoustical Society (NAG), as well as the corresponding Chairs: Dick Botteldooren and Gijsjan van Blokland.
The EAA is a supranational association composed of 32 Societies, almost all from European Countries, congregating around 9000 acousticians in the European territory. The EAA endorses 3 types of international events in a three year rotation cycle: the FORUM ACUSTICUM, the EURONOISE and the EUROREGIO. Preceding every EUROREGIO, there is normally an EAA School addressed for young acousticians, which runs this year from 6 to 8th September in Leuven, being such considered a satellite event of ICA 2019. In this regard, I want to thank its Chairs for the work they have had for the purpose: Monika Rychtáriková (KU Leuven) and Armin Kohlrausch (TU Eindhoven).
Integrated in a program of young acousticians' support and stimulating, the EAA usually launches in its yearly events a scientific competition among young researchers named "Best paper and presentation award". This year, the competition comprising 10 awards kindly sponsored by the HEAD Genuit Foundation, was also extended to all ICA Congress young participants. Around 130 applications have been submitted, which makes us very happy. The corresponding winners will be announced at the closing ceremony of ICA 2019.
Before ending, I want to draw your attention to the possibility to publish your paper in the EAA Journal (Acta Acustica), which is going to be full Open Access from next January onwards, and also stress the importance of your participation in ICA 2019.
Finally, I want to deeply thank the involvement of all supporting institutions and specially thank the ICA 2019 organizing committee, whom under the leadership of Professor Michael Vorländer, has done a tremendous and outstanding job for the success of ICA 2019 and consequently for EUROREGIO 2019. Please take the opportunity to enjoy the Congress and to dive into the history of the City of Aachen!
Jorge Patrício,
President of the European Acoustics Association