MILTON KEYNES, England, May 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A groundbreaking piece of research on the impact of the acoustics industry in the UK was presented at the leading industry conference Acoustics 2019 on 13 and 14^th May. The research was carried out by the UK Acoustics Network (UKAN) in conjunction with the Institute of Acoustics (IOA) and demonstrates that:

• The industry contributes £4.6 billion turnover nationwide, generated by more than 750 different companies
• The largest concentration of acoustics industrial activity is in the North West, Scotland and South East regions
• The industry is made up of over 98% small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), although the 7% of medium and large operations generate over 80% of acoustics revenues
• The acoustics industry is underpinned by a vibrant knowledge base with over 200 active research grants, worth in total more than £150 million and involving over 47 separate UK universities

Acoustics feeds into many major global markets, including the $10 billion market for sound insulation materials in construction, the $7.6 billion ultrasound equipment market and the potential $31 billion market for voice recognition.

Professor Barry Gibbs, President of the Institute of Acoustics, commented: "We became involved in this seminal research because for the first time, we have a way to demonstrate that acoustics is heard above the noise to inform policy, support agencies, researchers, career decisions and wider industry about the scale of acoustics capability available in the UK."

Gibbs added, "The four Grand Challenges identified in the 2017 UK Industrial Strategy will all require acoustics innovation. Challenge leaders are encouraged to engage with the UK acoustics community through the Institute of Acoustics (3000 members) and the EPSRC UK Acoustics Network (over 600 members) as a priority to ensure that acoustics innovation is built into solutions at the earliest opportunity."

Acoustics is a vibrant field that touches so many industries, and the UK is a world leader.  It is vital to industries such as in developing new airplanes, manufacturing plants, naval vessels, cars and buildings, and underpins most major developments in our modern society.

The research findings were presented for the first time at Acoustics 2019 held this year in Milton Keynes.

For more information, visit www.ioa.org.uk, alternatively, contact the IOA at +44 (0)300 999 9675 or ioa@ioa.org.uk or write to: The Institute of Acoustics, Silbury Court, 406 Silbury Boulevard, Milton Keynes, MK9 2AF, England.

Note to editors:

Institute of Acoustics (IOA)

The Institute of Acoustics is the UK's professional body for those working in acoustics, noise and vibration, representing some 3,000 members who span a rich diversity of backgrounds, with engineers, scientists, educators, lawyers, occupational hygienists, architects and environmental health officers among their number.

UK Acoustics Network (UKAN)

The EPSRC UK Acoustics Network (UKAN) is open to any researcher, practitioner or end-user in acoustics, giving access to the entire pool of acoustics expertise across the UK.

Contacts:

Please contact us for a full copy of the report:

Alex Shaida (PR contact at IOA) +44 (0) 300 999 9675 or email: alex.shaida@ioa.org.uk 
Allan Chesney (CEO at IOA) +44 (0) 300 999 9675 or email:  allan.chesney@ioa.org.uk  
Professor Barry Gibbs (President of the IOA) can be contacted through either of the above.

Related Links

https://www.ioa.org.uk

SOURCE Institute of Acoustics (IOA)