INGENIERIA PARA EL CONTROL DEL RUIDO, SL

Their core work

ICR (Ingeniería para el Control del Ruido) is a Barcelona-based acoustic engineering SME specialising in noise and vibration analysis for the transport sector. Their work spans two distinct transport domains: characterising and separating noise sources in railway environments to support vehicle certification, and identifying active noise control transfer paths in advanced air mobility platforms. They bring both simulation expertise and experimental methodology, working within standardised frameworks such as TSI compliance for rail. In practice, they serve as the technical engine in consortia — either leading the work or contributing deep specialist knowledge where acoustic modelling and control system design intersect.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ICR entered H2020 focused on ground transport acoustics — specifically the external, regulatory problem of railway pass-by noise, with an emphasis on source separation, measurement standardisation, and certification tools. By their second project, the focus had shifted decisively toward interior noise and active control: tilt-rotor aircraft cabin comfort, transfer path identification, and ANC subsystem design. This is a meaningful pivot from passive characterisation for compliance to active mitigation for comfort, and from rail to aerospace. The direction suggests a firm expanding its acoustic engineering base into higher-complexity, higher-value domains where active control replaces regulation-driven measurement.

ICR is moving from rail noise compliance work toward active noise control in advanced air vehicles — a trajectory that positions them well for urban air mobility and next-generation aircraft cabin programmes.

How they like to work

ICR operates both as a consortium leader and as a specialist partner depending on the project, having coordinated PIANO and participated in TRANSIT — a balanced record for a two-project SME. With 11 unique partners across 8 countries from just two projects, they work in moderately sized, internationally diverse consortia rather than small domestic teams. This pattern suggests they are comfortable bringing technical contributions to European collaborative R&D and are capable of taking project management responsibility when their core expertise is central to the work.

ICR has built a network of 11 consortium partners spanning 8 countries across just two projects, reflecting the international character of both the rail and aerospace sectors they operate in. Their reach is solidly European, with no indication of partnerships outside Europe.

What sets them apart

ICR occupies a rare position as a small engineering firm with demonstrated competence across two distinct transport acoustic domains — railway noise certification and aerospace active noise control — within a single H2020 cycle. Most acoustic consultancies of comparable size stay within one mode of transport; ICR's cross-modal track record makes them a flexible partner when a consortium needs deep acoustic modelling expertise without the overhead of a large research institution. Their coordinator role in PIANO also demonstrates they can manage Clean Sky 2 Joint Technology Initiative projects, a reference that carries weight in aerospace consortia.

Highlights from their portfolio

• PIANO
  ICR coordinated this Clean Sky 2 project on active noise control for tilt-rotor aircraft — their largest award (€329,298) and proof of project leadership capability in a high-profile EU aviation programme.
• TRANSIT
  A Shift2Rail initiative on railway noise source separation, demonstrating ICR's grounding in the regulatory and certification side of transport acoustics alongside their more research-oriented ANC work.