"The objective of the THATEA project is to advance the science and technology behind the thermoacoustic energy conversion processes to such a level that would enable reaching conversion efficiencies at which the application of the technology becomes economically attractive. Based on the results obtained, the most promising application areas will be identified for further development. Thermoacoustic energy conversion is a generic cross-cutting energy technology that can be applied in a vast number of applications, requiring heating, cooling, or power both in industry and build environment. Thermoacoustic is concerned with the thermodynamic conversion between heat and intense sound in the presence of a solid boundary. The working principles of thermoacoustic systems are quite complex. However, the practical implementations of these are relatively simple. This offers great advantages with respect to the economic feasibility of this technology. The systems lack moving parts, use environmentally friendly working media, and only ordinary materials. The development of thermoacoustic systems will lead to energy and cost savings and economically attractive renewable energy options. The attractive feature of thermoacoustic technology is that all the different applications can be developed based on the same technological principles. This means that the components of such systems can be made in large quantities at low cost. This project will be dedicated to the exploration and the study of different conversion processes involved in the thermoacoustic systems and the potential they have for energy applications. This project is the first initiative on a European level, aiming to combine the efforts in the new research field of thermoacoustics in order to acquire a leadership position in this new promising and innovative technology."