Two Dublin-based scientists were awarded for inventing a new sound-proofing material which is set to completely change the game when it comes to noise pollution.
Sligo natives Eimear O’Carroll and Rhona Togher already have "all the big players" in the automotive, construction, home appliances and aerospace industries reaching out to them after they created an advanced acoustic material that reduces noise.
The two inventors won the SMEs’ category of the European Inventor Award 2023 and were awarded by the European Patent Office (EPO). Their invention is a gel-like material which changes its structure when reacting to sound and vibration.
The physicists are already working with construction companies to see how they can scale up the technology to the size of walls and incorporate it into building installation and wall panels.
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University of Edinburgh graduate Eimear added: "The fact that the material is a lot thinner than traditional materials is really advantageous there because it means you can still give more space in the room for the people that are living there or working there, while giving a better acoustic performance, blocking more noise, moving from space to space.
"So, it's a more sustainable solution in terms of being able to provide more square footage as well for the buildings without needing as much materials."
Rhona, a UCD graduate said: "[Winning an award for the revolutionising material] is definitely not what we envisaged when we began on this journey. We just thought we wanted to try and see if we could help some people and it's formed the last part of a decade of our lives and is really going to have a significant impact on some of the biggest industries in the world.
"So, you'd be surprised what you can do."
All of Eamer and Rhona's development work is in Ireland and most of their manufacturing to date is here as well, both north and south of the border. Their office is also in the city centre and their lab is in Trinity College.
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