Overview: The 7th International Seminar on Seismic Isolation, Passive Energy Dissipation and Active Control of Vibrations of Structures, Assisi, Italy, October 2-5, 2001 and foundation of the Anti-Seismic Systems International Society (ASSISi)

This paper deals with the 7th International Seminar on Seismic Isolation, Passive Energy Dissipation and Active Control of Vibrations of Structures, held at Assisi (Italy) on October 2 to 5, 2001, which was jointly organized by the Italian Working Group on Seismic Isolation (GLIS) of the Italian National Association for Earthquake Engineering (ANIDIS) and Task Group 5 on Seismic Isolation of Structures (TG5) of the European Association for Earthquakes Engineering (EAEE) with the cooperation of several Institutions, associations and companies of a large number of countries, including the Italian Agency for New Technology, Energy and the Environment (ENEA) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The background, scope, attendance, main technical and organizational features and conclusions of the Seminar and the associated international exhibition and technical meetings and visits are summarized. Some remarks are also reported on the foundation of the new world association on the innovative anti-seismic techniques (ASSISi - Anti-Seismic Systems International Society), which was decided during the Closing Panel of the Seminar, and on the purposes, site and main features of the next event, the 8th World Seminar on Seismic Isolation, Energy Dissipation and Active Vibration Control of Structures, to be held at Yerevan, the Capital of Armenia, in 2003: this is the first event which will be organized in the framework of those officially involving ASSISi.