SONICOM consortium gather in Milan for 4th in-person meeting

The SONICOM consortium came together in Milan, Italy, for the project’s 4th in-person annual meeting, held in a beautiful and sunny setting.

The two-and-a-half-day meeting was jam-packed with work package updates, lively discussions and opportunities to look ahead to the final 12 months of the project.

The meeting unofficially kicked off on Tuesday evening, as most of the consortium met for a relaxed aperitivo in the vibrant district of Porta Sempione. The following morning, the meeting began nice and early at the University of Milan, where obligatory espresso and croissants were enjoyed by all.

Once sufficiently caffeinated, SONICOM PI, Dr Lorenzo Picinali, welcomed everyone and gave an overview of what the next few days would entail. The morning opened with a general update from the Project Management team, swiftly followed by an overview from the Immersion work package. A delicious lunch provided a welcome break before the afternoon resumed with presentations and demonstrations from the Interaction and Integration work packages.

The meeting concluded at around 6 pm, at which point it was time to unwind and enjoy an Italian feast together at the consortium dinner.

Day two brought everyone back to the University (and back to the espresso) for a deep dive into the work of the Experience team, who presented new developments and upcoming activities. The Communication and Dissemination team then presented on the achievements from the past 12 months and collaborated with the consortium on activity ideas until the end of the project. The Beyond work package presented and led an engaging discussion on the SONICOM Ecosystem. After another wonderful lunch, the consortium regrouped to discuss opportunities beyond SONICOM.

The final (half) day focused on follow-up proposals and testing various demonstrations, which included Reactify’s experience from the Great Exhibition Road Festival, indoor navigation by Dreamwaves, and spatial audio in teleconferencing.

The meeting concluded on a high note and was deemed a great success. A heartfelt thank you to the Milan team for their warm hospitality and for hosting such a well-organised and productive gathering.

The consortium is energised as they head into the final year of SONICOM and already look forward to reconvening for the final meeting next year.