InLab FIB

What InLab FIB does

InLab FIB is the research and innovation laboratory of the Facultat d'Informàtica de Barcelona (FIB) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), operating as an institutional ICT research unit rather than a standalone corporate entity. It develops multidisciplinary R+D+I projects across seven core expertise areas: Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Smart Mobility, Knowledge and Service Engineering, Modeling and Simulation (Digital Twin), Cybersecurity, and Cloud Computing. Notable named products and projects include Spot4Dis (computer-vision-based accessible-parking detection), FormulAItor (AI-assisted form completion), DESKUBE (Kubernetes hosting platform), AgriLogistics (agri-food data spaces), and predictive-ML systems for Volkswagen/SEAT electric-vehicle battery optimization. The lab holds TECNIO center accreditation from ACCIÓ, and its technical stack spans YOLO-based computer vision, LLM fine-tuning (quantization, LoRA, FlashAttention-2), Kubernetes/GitOps/Terraform cloud infrastructure, and simulation/digital-twin tooling.

The lab serves a horizontally diversified customer base spanning automotive, semiconductor, pharmaceutical, public administration, transportation, IT services, and non-profit organizations. Named clients and collaborators include Volkswagen, SEAT, Qorvo, Funditec, Mossos d'Esquadra, Alphanet, GeoActio, Ilimit Comunicacions, Seidor, AsoPMR, and CAMARAC, with additional academic, government, and ecosystem partners such as UPC's esCert cybersecurity group, ACCIÓ, and NTT Data (Talent Program sponsor). Headcount is reported at 51–100, supplemented by supervised students through the Talent Program.

InLab FIB does not operate a commercial pricing model; revenue is generated through professional-services-style engagements consisting of competitive public research grants (EU, national, regional/ACCIÓ), commissioned industry research projects, and co-development agreements with companies and public administrations. Distribution is direct via project-based engagement, with marketing visibility supported through the lab's website, blog, LinkedIn, YouTube, and event participation (e.g., MWC2024). Recognition includes the 2022 NASA MarsXR Challenge win and HackEPS programming awards.

Name

InLab FIB

Legal name

inLab FIB

Website

https://inlab.fib.upc.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

InLab FIB is a UPC-affiliated research and innovation laboratory in Barcelona that delivers applied AI, data science, smart mobility, cybersecurity, and cloud R&D projects to enterprises (Volkswagen, SEAT, Qorvo), public administrations, and non-profits through grant-funded and commissioned engagements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Project Funding: Funding from public research programs (EU, national, regional), competitive grants, and commissioned research from industry partners.
2. Industry Collaboration Projects: Co-development and research collaboration agreements with companies across various sectors including automotive, transport, pharmaceuticals, and public administration.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

InLab FIB is a multi-disciplinary ICT research and innovation laboratory at the Faculty of Informatics of Barcelona (FIB) at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) that develops R+D+I projects across seven expertise areas: Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Smart Mobility, Knowledge and Service Engineering, Modeling and Simulation (Digital Twin), Cybersecurity, and Cloud Computing. It delivers custom research collaborations, commissioned projects, and technology transfer services to companies, public administrations, and academic institutions, including named products such as Spot4Dis, FormulAItor, DESKUBE, and AgriLogistics.

Product overview

inLab FIB is a research and innovation laboratory at the Faculty of Computer Science of Barcelona (FIB) at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC). The laboratory offers a portfolio of specialized technology services and products in the ICT field, organized around seven core areas of expertise: Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Smart Mobility, Knowledge and Service Engineering, Modeling and Simulation (Digital Twin), Cybersecurity, and Cloud Computing. The laboratory operates as a research services provider rather than a traditional software vendor, delivering custom R+D+I projects to industry partners and public organizations. Notable named products include Spot4Dis for accessible parking detection, FormulAItor for automated form completion, DESKUBE for Kubernetes hosting, and AgriLogistics for agricultural supply chain data management. The laboratory also provides specialized AI capabilities including computer vision for satellite imagery analysis, predictive analytics for electric vehicle battery optimization, and generative AI research including LLM fine-tuning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Spot4Dis AI-powered system for automated detection and mapping of accessible parking spots using computer vision applied to satellite imagery, supporting the Park4Dis mobile application for people with reduced mobility.
• FormulAItor AI-based automated form completion system designed to facilitate daily tasks for Help Desk workers and employees reporting requests or incidents using natural language processing.
• DESKUBE Kubernetes-based hosting platform for flexible and secure application deployment, developed in collaboration with Ilimit Comunicacions for cloud-native application management.
• AgriLogistics Collaborative data space solution facilitating information access for all agents in the agri-food supply chain to strengthen logistics and improve efficiency.
• R&D+I Services in Artificial Intelligence Multidisciplinary research and innovation services in AI including machine learning, deep learning, computer vision, and natural language processing applications.
• Data Science and Big Data Services Data science and analytics services for extracting insights from large datasets including traffic prediction, mobility analysis, and business intelligence.
• Smart Mobility Solutions Intelligent transportation systems and mobility solutions including traffic optimization, autonomous vehicle perception, and public transport analytics.
• Cybersecurity Services Cybersecurity research and innovation services including infrastructure security, secure cloud computing, and security testing.
• Cloud Computing Services Cloud infrastructure and computing services including Kubernetes deployment, GitOps automation with ArgoCD, and Terraform-based infrastructure management.
• Modeling and Simulation: Digital Twin Digital twin technology and simulation services for modeling complex systems including mobility patterns, manufacturing processes, and biological systems.
• Knowledge and Service Engineering Knowledge management and service engineering solutions for designing and optimizing service-oriented architectures and knowledge-based systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully developed AI-based solutions for accessible parking detection using satellite imagery across multiple cities
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• esCertcoreTechnology or IntegrationesCert has been incorporated into inLab FIB's ecosystem. esCert is a cybersecurity research group at UPC specializing in security incident management and CSIRT operations, with affiliations to FIRST (Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams) and TI (Trusted Introducer).
• ACCIÓ - Generalitat de CatalunyacoreOthersACCIÓ is Catalonia's agency for business competitiveness. inLab FIB holds TECNIO center accreditation from ACCIÓ, recognizing technological capabilities and enabling access to public innovation funding programs.
• NTT DataminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNTT Data is a sponsor of the Talent Program at inLab FIB, supporting talent development initiatives.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Eurecat: Eurecat is Catalonia's largest technology center, offering applied R&D services across digital, industrial, and biotech areas. Highly comparable to InLab FIB as a Catalonia-based, multi-disciplinary applied research provider serving enterprises and public administrations.
• Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC): BSC is a Barcelona-based public research center focused on HPC, AI, and data science with industry collaborators. Comparable in geography, multi-disciplinary ICT R&D profile, and academic-public structure to InLab FIB.
• Computer Vision Center (CVC): CVC is a Catalonia-based non-profit computer vision and AI research center affiliated with UAB and UOC. Comparable as a Catalonia-based ICT research lab with industry collaboration on AI/CV projects.
• IRI (Institut de Robòtica i Informàtica Industrial): IRI is a UPC joint research center with CSIC focused on robotics, AI, and industrial informatics. Comparable as a UPC-affiliated research unit delivering applied R&D projects to industry.
• CITIC (Universidade da Coruña): CITIC is a Spanish university research center in computer science and ICT. Comparable as a Spanish university-affiliated ICT research center offering industry-facing R&D.

Broad incumbents

• Tecnalia: Tecnalia is Spain's largest applied research and technology center, offering multi-sector R&D services including ICT, mobility, and energy. Comparable to InLab FIB in applied R&D services model and Spanish footprint, but broader in scope and larger in scale.
• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: VTT is a large European applied research organization offering multi-disciplinary R&D services to industry. Comparable in the applied R&D/technology-center model, though much larger and broader than InLab FIB.
• Fraunhofer IAIS: Fraunhofer IAIS is part of the Fraunhofer network specializing in AI, data science, and smart mobility. Comparable in the applied AI research institute model serving industry and public sector, but as part of a much larger network.
• Accenture: Accenture is a global IT services firm with deep AI/data/digital twin practices serving enterprises including automotive and public sector. Comparable in overlapping service lines (AI, data, smart mobility, cloud), though operating at vastly larger scale and with global delivery.

Others

• NTT Data: NTT Data is a global IT services and consulting firm that already sponsors InLab FIB's Talent Program. Comparable as an enterprise partner/competitor in AI and smart-mobility consulting, but commercially scaled and global.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/inlabfib
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@inlabfib
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/inlab-fib
• Instagraminstagram.com/inlabfib

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about InLab FIB