Please click here to register for the Metamaterials Hackathon.

How can acoustic metamaterials help solve real-world acoustic challenges while satisfying also design requirements and user needs?

Metamaterials are structures with artificially engineered micro-geometries designed at sub-wavelength scales to achieve acoustic properties not found in natural materials, and they provide high control on soundwaves passing through. As an example, they can provide high sound absorption at low frequencies through thin and lightweight configurations.

This is crucial in work environments— and particularly in open-plan offices— where speech noise, high STI values, long reverberation times, and noise generated by service equipment emerge as challenging acoustic issues. Metamaterial can offer a solution and it is therefore not surprising that, over the past five years, the use of acoustic metamaterials in office environments has become one of the most frequently studied application areas in room acoustics and material science research.

But how do they compare to traditional solutions? How can they be specified in real-world projects? And, more importantly, how does a metamaterial look like?

This interactive event responds to these questions by bringing together acoustic consultants, researchers, manufacturers, and practitioners to explore the possibilities offered by acoustic metamaterials. Through guest seminars, case studies, demonstrations, and discussions, participants will question how these emerging solutions can complement conventional materials and solutions.

The program includes:

• Introduction to acoustic metamaterial solutions and challenges
• Design criteria and case studies including its use in open-plan work environments
• Showcase of example products, firsthand experience and sensory tests
• Interactive discussion and problem-solving sessions

About the organiser:

Gianluca Memoli

University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
Metasonixx Ltd., Brighton, UK

Gianluca has been working in acoustics for 20 years, all over the frequency spectrum. From medical ultrasound to soundscapes, from metrology to microbubbles... and now metamaterials. A physicist, an engineer, an inventor, an amateur thespian, Gianluca splits his time between teaching at the University of Sussex, being a father of two and nurturing the spin-off Metasonixx (IOP business start-up award of 2024). Gianluca has won multiple awards in his career for his teaching (his course of Entrepreneurship has been voted 4th in the world in 2025), his outreach (IOA award for communicating acoustic to the public in 2013), his research (a UKRI fellowship in 2017).

Gianluca Memoli will also give Plenary Lecture during the congress.