Inter-Noise 2025: Technical Program Highlights

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The 54th International Congress & Exposition on Noise Control Engineering (Inter-Noise 2025) took place from August 24-27, 2025, in São Paulo, Brazil. Organized by the Brazilian Association for Acoustic Quality (ProAcústica) and co-hosted by the International Institute of Noise Control Engineering (I-INCE), the congress was held at the WTC Events Center & Sheraton WTC Hotel under the theme “Connections for a Better Sounding World.”

Technical Program Overview

The technical program featured an lineup of keynotes and plenary lectures, parallel technical sessions, and special events designed to foster knowledge exchange among approximately 700 specialists, researchers, manufacturers, and students from around the world. The congress was held in a hybrid format, accommodating both in-person and online participants from more than 50 countries.

Two innovative presentation formats were introduced at Inter-Noise 2025: e-posters (digital screens where poster presentations were displayed) and silent plenary sessions, which allowed exhibitions, technical sessions, and plenary lectures to coexist without noise interference. The technical program included a total of 431 papers presented across various formats: 317 in-person oral presentations (73.5%), 36 onsite e-poster presentations (8.4%), and 78 online pre-recorded presentations (18.1%). Presenters in the online and poster categories had the opportunity to deliver flash presentations on the main stage, enhancing visibility for their research.

Keynote and Plenary Speakers

The congress opened on August 24 with Dr. Alice Cicirello (University of Cambridge) delivering the inaugural keynote lecture on “Noise and Vibration Challenges Through the Lens of Physics-Enhanced Machine Learning.” Her presentation explored a hybrid approach that integrates data, physical models, and expert knowledge to address complex engineering problems in noise and vibration, including strategies for uncertainty quantification and identification of non-linearities.

On August 25, Dr. Chiara Scrosati (Head of Acoustics Laboratory at ITC-CNR, Italy) presented “Measure by Measure – Obtaining Meaningful Numbers in Building Acoustics.” She addressed the challenges in acoustic performance measurement in buildings, highlighting the importance of reliable parameters for ensuring comfort, health, and well-being in indoor environments where people spend approximately 90% of their time according to WHO estimates. Her lecture included case studies on acoustic interventions in schools near airports and sampling techniques for building classification.

Also on August 25, Prof. Li Cheng (Hong Kong Polytechnic University) discussed “Slow Waves for Noise and Vibration Control,” focusing on recent advances in techniques that manipulate acoustic and elastic waves through structural design. As President-elect of the I-INCE and a world reference in structural acoustics and vibration, Cheng presented phenomena known as Acoustic Black Hole (ABH) and Sonic Black Hole (SBH), demonstrating how to reduce the propagation speed of flexural waves, compress their wavelength, and concentrate energy in flexible structures.

Prof. Noureddine Atalla (Université de Sherbrooke) spoke on “Vibroacoustic Modeling of Lightweight Structures with Coupled Noise Control Materials,” providing insights into advanced modeling techniques for noise control in modern lightweight construction.

Prof. Nilesh Madhu (Ghent University) and Prof. Bruno Masiero (University of Campinas) jointly presented “The Robustness of Data: From Audio Separation to Ecosystem Monitoring with Data-Driven Machine Learning,” showcasing innovative applications of machine learning in acoustic monitoring.

The congress concluded with Prof. Júlio A. Cordioli (Federal University of Santa Catarina) delivering the closing keynote on “On the Noise of Electric Aircraft: From Drones to Electric Airplanes,” examining the acoustic challenges and opportunities presented by the growing electric aviation sector.

Technical Sessions

The technical program was organized into five major areas with the following distribution of papers:

  1. Vibration & Acoustical Engineering Science: 131 papers (30.4%)
  2. Material, Architectural & Environmental Applications: 125 papers (29.0%)
  3. Human Factors: 88 papers (20.4%)
  4. Industrial & Transportation Applications: 65 papers (15.1%)
  5. Multidisciplinary Approaches: 23 papers (5.1%)

Brazil had the highest representation with 39% of all papers, followed by China (8%), Japan (7%), and Canada, South Korea, and the United States (4% each). This international participation reflected the widespread interest in noise control engineering and the role of Inter-Noise in facilitating knowledge exchange in the field.

Special Events

The congress featured several special events, including:

  • A technical visit to Sala São Paulo, one of the world’s most prestigious concert halls with a unique movable ceiling that allows for variations in acoustic properties. More than one hundred participants attended this visit and were treated to an exclusive rehearsal by OSESP (São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra).
  • A Women in Noise Control Luncheon on August 26, providing networking opportunities for female professionals and students
  • Young Professionals Workshop and awards ceremony for recipients of the I-INCE 2025 YP Grant
  • Industry exhibition promoting interaction between exhibitors and participants
  • A roundtable with public authorities engaged in urban planning to discuss acoustic quality as a public health issue

For more information: internoise2025.org