The industry’s national sound and air LAB

Clean air, proper sound conditions and minimal noise, are essential for our well-being and health

Noise and air pollution have been identified by the WHO as the environmental pressures responsible for the greatest number of health problems in terms of reduced quality of life, illness, and premature death. In the EU alone, noise is estimated to cause 10,000 premature deaths per year, while air pollution is estimated to be responsible for nearly half a million deaths per year. In addition, the quality of life of many millions of people depends on proper sound conditions, such as functioning hearing aids, effective hearing protectors, and hearables.

The human and socio-economic costs of poor sound conditions, noise pollution, and air pollution are high. They are also closely linked to growth and development in modern societies, where population densities are increasing, cities are growing, infrastructure is expanding, and businesses and homes are moving closer together. 

In this project, entitled "A national industrial sound and air LAB" we will support the growing need for proper sound and air environments by developing and disseminating solutions that reduce health nuisances and promote quality of life in:

• residential environments, where people spend as much as 90% of each day, and where noise and air pollution in buildings have an impact on well-being and health
• working environments, where exposure to harmful noise and air pollution can be reduced through smart solutions for monitoring, process control, and personal protective equipment 
• the external environment, where both the design of solutions like noise barriers, as well as green urban and traffic planning, can contribute to reducing annoyances associated with air and noise pollution.

Strong development and testing environments to strengthen Danish competitiveness

The project's ambition is to establish a strong Danish development and testing environment in the fields of sound and air by bringing the complexity of residential, working, and external environments into realistic laboratory environments. This will give companies access to new measurement methods, models and testing facilities that can offer the best, most realistic conditions possible for the development of new products and solutions.

This will provide Danish companies with efficient and useful validation of products and sensor systems in the fields of sound and air, thereby also granting them access to a platform that will further strengthen the overall Danish competitiveness in the sound and air fields.

New sound and air LAB to benefit both industry and society

This project supports the measurement, modelling, and recording of sound and air quality through devices like air sensor systems, hearing aids, and hearables. It additionally supports the prevention of exposure to harmful noise and air pollution, using such technologies and tools as noise-reducing building components, noise barriers, hearing protectors, particulate filters, and air purification.

Thus, the main beneficiaries of this project are manufacturers of measuring equipment, consumer electronics, hearing aids, and hearables, which contain sensors for detecting and processing sound signals and air particles. This includes businesses in the audio industry, as well as the hearing aid and clean air sectors.

In addition, the beneficiaries are manufacturers, suppliers and users of products and components that contribute to noise reduction and improved air quality in buildings, outdoor air, and working environment, including construction companies, producers of building materials, and businesses in the window industry. 

Last but not least, companies, housing associations, and authorities that use these products will also benefit, as will architects, consultants, and others involved in the design and planning of solutions - and of course, ordinary citizens, ultimately.