What Lab-STICC does

Lab-STICC (Laboratoire des Sciences et Techniques de l'Information de la Communication et de la Connaissance) is a French public research laboratory operating as a Joint Research Unit (UMR 6285) under CNRS, France's primary national scientific research organization. The lab is organized around nine specialized research departments — CyR (Cyber & Networks), DMID (Data, Models, Information, Decisions), IA & Ocean (AI & Ocean), Interaction (Human-Computer Interaction), MATRF (RF Materials & Devices), SHARP (Software and Hardware Architectures and Processes), SHM (Human-Machine Systems), SyPH (Photonic & Microwave Systems), and T2I3 (Information Processing, Transmission, Algorithms and Integration) — supported by seven cross-cutting transversal themes covering Cyber, AI, Language Technologies, Space, Drones, Industry of the Future, and the Techyp technology platform. Its motto, "From sensors to knowledge: Communicate and decide," encapsulates a full-stack data-to-decision research pipeline spanning sensing, signal processing, communications, and AI-driven decision support, with particular depth in oceanic, cybersecurity, and RF/photonics applications.

The laboratory is jointly affiliated with IMT Atlantique, ENSTA Paris (Institut Polytechnique de Paris), ENIB, UBS (Université de Bretagne Sud), and UBO (Université de Bretagne Occidentale), with primary operations at the Technopole Brest-Iroise campus in Brest, France. Headcount is reported at 501-1000, spanning faculty, postdocs, doctoral candidates, and engineering staff. As a public research unit, Lab-STICC operates a non-commercial revenue model: funding is sourced from CNRS, partner universities, and French government research agencies, and outputs are disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, the HAL open archive, doctoral training, and industry technology-transfer collaborations. Outputs are primarily scientific rather than commercial.

Recent strategic signals include the establishment of seven transversal themes (formalizing cross-department coordination in AI, Cyber, Space, Drones, Language Tech, Industry of the Future, and Techyp), international expansion via the 2023 AUFRANDE Program (Australia-France Network of Doctoral Excellence), recruitment of a Junior Professor Chair in Autonomous Embedded Systems Based on AI (2024), and external validation through the 2026 CNFRS-URSI France Medal awarded to Emeritus Professor Michel NEY for microwave research.

Name

Lab-STICC

Legal name

Laboratoire des Sciences et Techniques de l'information de la Communication et de la Connaissance

Website

https://lab-sticc.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Lab-STICC is a French CNRS research laboratory (UMR 6285) in Brest operating nine departments spanning cybersecurity, AI, photonics, RF materials, and human-machine systems, serving academic researchers, doctoral students, and industry partners through applied research and technology transfer.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bretagne

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Lab-STICC is a public CNRS research laboratory (UMR 6285) that conducts fundamental and applied research in information science, communication, and knowledge technologies through nine specialized departments covering cybersecurity, AI, RF materials, photonics, software/hardware architectures, and human-machine interaction. It trains doctoral researchers, publishes scientific outputs through the HAL open archive, and engages in technology transfer partnerships with industry. The laboratory offers postdoctoral and PhD positions, hosts seminars and PhD defenses, and operates shared research equipment platforms across its departments.

Product overview

Lab-STICC (Laboratoire des Sciences et Techniques de l'Information de la Communication et de la Connaissance) is a CNRS research laboratory (UMR 6285) organized as a unified multi-departmental platform spanning 9 research departments and 7 transversal action themes. The nine departments—CyR (Cyber & Networks), DMID (Data, Models, Information, Decisions), IA & Ocean (AI & Ocean), Interaction, MATRF (RF Materials & Devices), SHARP (Software and Hardware Architectures and Processes), SHM (Human-Machine Systems), SyPH (Photonic & Microwave Systems), and T2I3 (Information Processing, Transmission, Algorithms and Integration)—operate as distinct research units united under the lab's shared infrastructure. Cross-cutting themes in Cyber, Artificial Intelligence, Language Technologies, Space, Drones, Industry of the Future, and Techyp coordinate expertise across departments. The lab's motto 'From sensors to knowledge: Communicate and decide' reflects its focus on the complete data-to-knowledge pipeline. The research platform also includes specialized facilities and equipment platforms supporting its departmental activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CyR (Cyber & Réseaux) Research Department Research department covering cybersecurity and networks (Cyber&Réseaux). Active in wireless security, embedded systems security, and cybersecurity assessment of cellular IoT devices. Open postdoctoral positions in this area.
• DMID (Data, Models, Information, Decisions) Research Department Research department dedicated to data science, information modeling, and decision support systems. Supports doctoral research and academic publications in these domains.
• IA & Ocean (Artificial Intelligence & Ocean) Research Department Research department combining artificial intelligence with ocean-related applications. Leverages AI for maritime and oceanic challenges, including autonomous systems at sea.
• Interaction Research Department Research department focused on human-computer interaction, user experience design, and interactive systems. Targets usability and interaction design research.
• MATRF (Materials & Devices RF) Research Department Research department specializing in radio frequency materials and microwave devices. Supports research relevant to radar and telecommunication systems.
• SHARP (Software and Hardware, Architectures and Processes) Research Department Research department covering software engineering, hardware architectures, and processing systems including autonomous embedded systems. Closely tied to the 2AI Algorithm-Architecture Interaction team.
• SHM (Systèmes Humains-Machines) Research Department Research department dedicated to human-machine systems, studying the interaction between humans and technological systems from a systems engineering perspective.
• SyPH (Systèmes Photoniques et Hyperfréquences) Research Department Research department focused on photonic and microwave systems, including radar systems and spectrum monitoring. Hosts the PIM team conducting microwave-related doctoral research.
• T2I3 (Traitement et Transmission de l'Information, Algorithme et Intégration) Research Department Research department covering information processing and transmission, algorithms, and system integration. Provides foundational signal and information processing expertise.
• Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cybersecurity Assessment of Cellular IoT Devices Postdoctoral research position in the embedded system and wireless security domain within the ARCAD team, addressing cybersecurity assessment of cellular IoT devices (NB-IoT, LTE-M). Targeted at postdoctoral researchers.
• Chair of Junior Professor in Autonomous Embedded Systems Based on AI Junior professor chair position in Autonomous Embedded Systems Based on AI, hosted within the 2AI team at IMT Atlantique/Brest campus/Lab-STICC. Application deadline was 15 October 2024.
• AUFRANDE PhD Fellowship in Distributed Intelligence on Autonomous Systems Full PhD fellowship co-funded through the AUFRANDE (Australia-France Network of Doctoral Excellence) program, addressing distributed intelligence on a group of autonomous systems under resource and communication constraints.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

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Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AUFRANDE Program (Australia-France Network of Doctoral Excellence)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Co-funded PhD fellowship program between Australia and France. Lab-STICC participates in recruiting doctoral candidates under this international doctoral excellence network. The program provides joint supervision and funding for PhD research.
• CNRScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Center for Scientific Research - the primary French research organization that funds and administers the laboratory as UMR 6285
• IMT AtlantiquecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution providing research faculty, campus facilities, and administrative support at Brest campus
• ENSTA Paris (Institut Polytechnique de Paris)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner engineering school providing research collaboration and hosting PhD defenses at Brest campus
• ENIB (École Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Brest)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner engineering school contributing faculty and research to the laboratory
• UBS (Université de Bretagne Sud)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional university partner contributing researchers and academic programs to the laboratory
• UBO (Université de Bretagne Occidentale)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional university partner contributing researchers and academic programs to the laboratory

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• ONERA (Office national d'études et de recherches aérospatiales): French public aerospace research lab. Adjacent peer with overlapping RF/signal-processing expertise applied to radar and spectrum monitoring, though its primary focus is aerospace rather than broad ICT.

Broad incumbents

• IMEC: Belgium-based European R&D center specializing in semiconductor, photonics, and AI-enabled hardware. Overlaps with Lab-STICC's photonics, RF, and embedded-systems research and offers a comparable model for industry-funded research at scale.
• Fraunhofer Society: Germany's leading applied-research network with comparable university-linked institutes and a similar applied-research-plus-doctoral-training mission. Functionally analogous peer at greater scale and with stronger industry-commercial translation.
• CEA (Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives): Major French public research organization with much broader scope (energy, defense, ICT, life sciences) and significantly larger headcount. Comparable as another large French public R&D institution, though ICT is one of many domains.
• Institut Mines-Télécom: Network of French engineering schools conducting applied ICT and industrial research. Parent organization of IMT Atlantique (Lab-STICC partner), so directly interlinked with the subject lab and a broader institutional peer.

Direct peers

• LIRMM (Laboratoire d'Informatique, de Robotique et de Microélectronique de Montpellier): French CNRS joint research unit (UMR 5506) at University of Montpellier covering computer science, robotics, and microelectronics. Highly comparable in structure (university-based CNRS UMR) and overlapping research scope.
• LAAS-CNRS: Toulouse-based CNRS UMR covering ICT, robotics, embedded systems, and signal processing. Closest French peer to Lab-STICC in size, governance model (CNRS UMR), and disciplinary mix.
• TIMA Laboratory (Univ. Grenoble Alpes): Grenoble-based research lab in microelectronics, embedded systems, and algorithm-architecture interaction. Direct overlap with Lab-STICC's SHARP and T2I3 departments.
• INRIA (Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies du numérique): France's national research institute for digital science and technology. Direct counterpart to Lab-STICC in mission, structure, and ICT research focus, with similar CNRS/government backing and multi-site presence across France.

Others

• CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique): Lab-STICC's parent organization and primary funder (UMR 6285). Not a peer in a competitive sense but the institutional framework within which the lab operates and the relevant comparator for governance and funding dynamics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Lab-STICC