From the President of I-INCE (Dec 2019)

Looking back, 2019 has been a busy year. The INTER-NOISE Congress in Madrid was most successful, with a higher participation than expected (after concerns about conflicts with a number of other major congresses in Europe). Looking forward to 2020, the planning for the INTER-NOISE Congress in Seoul, August 23–26, 2020, is progressing well. (Visit http://internoise2020.org/ for more information.) While the basic structure of the congress remains consistent, each congress introduces some new aspects or trials some changes. For INTER-NOISE 2019, participants were fortunate to be able to join in the celebrations for the 50th anniversary for the Spanish Acoustical Society. For INTER-NOISE 2020, there will also be features related to the location in Korea, plus we will trial of having two speakers from different regions in the keynote time slots.

Looking further into the future, the 50th anniversary of I-INCE is to be celebrated at the INTER-NOISE 2021 in Washington. This congress is to be held at a venue close to the original venue for the first I-INCE congress. The board is working with INCE-USA to arrange for appropriate celebrations of the institute’s achievements. If anyone has any special memorabilia from past INTER-NOISE congresses that may be of interest, please contact the secretary-general of I-INCE.

The initiative of the International Commission to hold an International Year of Sound in 2020 (IYS 2020) has given the impetus for many activities being held during the year to highlight the importance of sound in our world. The I-INCE was one of the initial founding supporters and has also sponsored the production of a short video on the theme of the year. This video will be launched at the opening of the IYS 2020 at the Sorbonne, Paris, on January 30, 2020. Following the launch, the video will be available freely on the website. Another centrally organized activity will be an international school competition that will be an expansion of the school competition held previously by the EAA. The IYS 2020 website (www.sound2020.org) includes the growing list of events and activities being held around the world, plus a growing number of resources. Major international congresses during 2020 have committed to using these gatherings of acousticians to hold some form of outreach event. As well, the website also lists events that will be arranged by national organizations and other interested groups. These range from plans for a public lecture, an educational activity, a musical performance, a display on sound in a regional library, and even a workshop to update Wikipedia listings for topics on sound. Any activities or events in accord with the theme of the IYS 2020 can be submitted for inclusion on the list and be provided with the logo for the IYS 2020.

One event in 2020 is the Quiet Drones symposium, organized by INCE Europe and CIDB, to be held in Paris, May 26–27, 2019 (www.quietdrones.org). I-INCE is one of the supporters of this very topical symposium. The drone industry is moving fast internationally, and regulatory bodies are yet to fully understand or deal with its impact. Already trials of drone deliveries of food and other items are being carried out in a number of countries; common complaints from the neighbors are invasion of privacy and excess noise. This symposium will gather a range of stakeholders including researchers, manufacturers, users, and regulators to discuss the future as well as options for management and control of the problem of noise impact.

As the end of the year approaches, so also does my term as president of I-INCE. I would like to take this opportunity to gratefully thank all those who have helped me during my term as president. The incoming board was elected at the time of the I-INCE General Assembly during the INTER-NOISE Congress in Madrid and was summarized in the September issue of NNI. It is important for any management board to have some new persons involved to allow for new ideas. However, this needs to be balanced with knowledge and experience, and the board will certainly gain this as Bob Bernhard takes on the role of president. He has served several terms as the general secretary of the board, and that means he has a deep understanding of all the operations of I-INCE. We can be sure that the organization is in good hands.

I take this opportunity to send you all the very best wishes for a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2020.

Marion Burgess
President, I-INCE