The Acoustics Research Institute (ARI) is an interdisciplinary institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. It conducts fundamental research in acoustics with broad application potential, grounded in mathematics and carried out in cooperation with internationally recognized scientific partners.
Many scientific questions in acoustics address various stages of sound - from its generation to propagation and perception. Developing precise acoustical and perceptual models requires expertise in mathematics, numerical methods, and signal processing. Therefore, pioneering research in acoustics demands a multidisciplinary approach. This fosters innovative research, leveraging interdisciplinary synergies while also advancing individual fields. Many of ARI’s projects combine deep expertise in specific disciplines with collaborative, cross-disciplinary work. Methods developed through this fundamental research are implemented in software systems such as STx, which has a long tradition of collaboration with external partners.
ARI brings together phonetics, psychoacoustics, computational physics, mathematics, and biology. It welcomes other research disciplines and teams that align with its multidisciplinary approach. This interdisciplinary model makes ARI unique in Austria, and even globally there are few comparable research institutes. The active involvement of ISF researchers in university teaching also closes a gap in academic acoustics training.
ARI will continue to build on its principle of “Excellence through Synergy,” aiming to strengthen collaboration among its existing research groups and to attract new ones that align with its mission. Partnerships with external institutions will also be expanded. The institute’s goal is to reinforce its position as a leader in international acoustics research and, in the long term, to establish itself as a center for multidisciplinary acoustics research.
The origins of ARI (or Institut für Schallforschung) lie in the Phonogrammarchiv of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW). On December 14, 1971, its commission proposed the founding of a Commission for Acoustics Research. According to the commissions' activity report, the goal was to address experimental, applied, and theoretical problems in sound analysis - a field of growing importance.
The motion was approved by the general meeting of the OeAW on January 28, 1972. Walter Graf, head of the Phonogrammarchiv, was appointed chairman of the newly established commission. In 1994, the Commission for Acoustics Research was elevated to a research unit, and in 2000 it became an independent institute. From the beginning, Werner A. Deutsch was instrumental for ARI's development. He served first as chairman of the commission and later, from 1994 to 2012, as the institute’s director. In 2012, marking ARI’s fortieth anniversary, leadership was taken over by mathematician Peter Balazs. Since then, the institute has launched numerous new projects and set fresh research priorities.
1972 | Foundation of the Commission for Acoustics Research |
1994 | Upgraded to a Research Unit |
2000 | Established as the Acoustics Research Institute (ARI) |
Director
Peter Balazs
Deputy Director
Robert Baumgartner
Head of Administration
Konrad Antonicek
Contact
T: +43 (0)1 51581 2501
Email: office.isf(at)oeaw.ac.at
