Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics

What Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics does

Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics (CIIRC CTU) is a public academic research institute embedded within Czech Technical University in Prague (ČVUT), founded in 2015 and headquartered at Jugoslávských partyzánů 1580/3, Prague 6-Dejvice. It conducts fundamental and applied research in artificial intelligence, robotics, machine perception, cybernetics, intelligent systems, and industrial informatics, with applications spanning Industry 4.0, smart cities, healthcare, construction automation, and advanced manufacturing. The institute is organized into eight research divisions (AI, Intelligent Systems, Industrial Informatics, Robotics and Machine Perception, Industrial Production and Automation, Cognitive Systems and Neurosciences, Biomedical Engineering and Assistive Technology, and Scientific Management of Platforms) and operates specialized testbeds including the RICAIP Testbed Prague, the Testbed for Industry 4.0 (featuring the Robobar demonstration), and the Josef Underground Laboratory. It also hosts the National Centre for Industry 4.0, the National Centre for Construction 4.0, and the Centre of City of the Future.

Core products are research outputs rather than commercial goods: peer-reviewed publications, prototype robotic and AI systems validated in physical testbeds, joint research projects with industry and clinical partners (including Mayo Clinic and seven Czech clinical institutions), and supervised PhD and student programs. The institute's research infrastructure is differentiated by national mandates (coordination centers for Industry 4.0 and Construction 4.0), physical scale (RICAIP Testbed Prague), and rare underground robotics validation environment (Josef Underground Laboratory). Notable proprietary technology assets include vision-language models for 6-DoF grasp position generation, machine-learning methods for protein-protein interaction design, AI-driven speech-based classification of Parkinson's disease severity, and embodied perception research enabling instruction-following robotic manipulation from video.

CIIRC operates a non-commercial, grant-funded academic model. Revenue streams consist of institutional funding from Czech Technical University, Czech national research grants, European Union framework program funding (e.g., RICAIP), and collaborative research agreements with industry and clinical partners. Pricing is not publicly disclosed because services are not sold commercially. Go-to-market is community-led and partnership-driven, leveraging PhD programs, research publications, conferences (CVPR, NeurIPS, ICLR), the National Centre for Industry 4.0 as an industry-outreach channel, and strategic government partnerships including the June 2026 Korea-Czech Advanced Robot Industry Partnership Initiative. Customer segments include industry partners implementing Industry 4.0, the academic research community, healthcare institutions, and government/municipalities for smart city solutions.

Name

Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics

Legal name

Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics

Website

https://ciirc.cvut.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

CIIRC CTU is a public research institute within Czech Technical University in Prague conducting fundamental and applied research in AI, robotics, cybernetics, and intelligent systems. It serves industry, healthcare, government, and academic partners through national coordination centers, physical testbeds including RICAIP Testbed Prague, and grant-funded collaborative research programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Research Services

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAM)

Keywords

• Industrial robotics research
• Artificial intelligence research
• Machine perception systems
• Intelligent manufacturing research
• Biomedical engineering research

Headquarters

HQ city

Prague

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Project Funding: Primary funding through national and European research grants, EU funding programs, and institutional research projects

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CIIRC CTU is a university research institute that conducts fundamental and applied research in artificial intelligence, robotics, and cybernetics. It operates specialized research divisions (AI, Intelligent Systems, Robotics and Machine Perception, Industrial Informatics, Biomedical Engineering, Cognitive Systems) and physical testbed facilities (RICAIP Testbed Prague, Industry 4.0 Testbed, Josef Underground Testbed). It also coordinates national centers for Industry 4.0, Construction 4.0, and Smart Cities, delivering collaborative research, PhD education, and technology transfer to industry, government, and healthcare partners.

Product overview

CIIRC CTU is a university research institute conducting fundamental and applied research across artificial intelligence, robotics, and cybernetics. The institute operates multiple specialized divisions including AI (machine learning, computer vision, formal methods), intelligent systems (industry, transportation, smart cities), robotics and machine perception, biomedical engineering, and industrial informatics. Key infrastructure includes the RICAIP Testbed Prague for advanced manufacturing research, the Testbed for Industry 4.0 featuring the Robobar demonstration system, and the Josef Underground Testbed for specialized robotics validation. The institute also coordinates three national centers (Industry 4.0, Construction 4.0, Smart Cities) that bridge academic research with industrial application. Research is organized into departments focused on optimization, embedded systems, cognitive systems, and platform management, supported by PhD programs and industry collaboration initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RICAIP Testbed Prague Research and Innovation Centre for Advanced Industrial Production testbed providing industry partners with access to robotics and AI validation environments for advanced manufacturing research.
• Testbed for Industry 4.0 Industrial testing facility for Industry 4.0 technologies, including the Robobar demonstration unit, providing hands-on validation of smart manufacturing and human-robot interaction solutions.
• National Centre for Industry 4.0 (Národní centrum Průmyslu 4.0) National coordination center providing Czech industry with access to Industry 4.0 research, testing facilities, and partnership programs for industrial digital transformation.
• National Centre for Construction 4.0 (Národní centrum Stavebnictví 4.0) National center delivering digital transformation and automation research for the Czech construction industry, applying Industry 4.0 principles to the building sector.
• Centre of City of the Future (Centrum města budoucnosti) Research center developing smart city technologies and urban automation solutions for sustainable urban development, serving government and municipal partners.
• PhD Study Programs at CIIRC Doctoral study programs offering PhD students research training in artificial intelligence, robotics, cybernetics, intelligent systems, and biomedical engineering at CIIRC CTU.

Quantifiable outcome

• International recognition through CVPR, NeurIPS, and ICLR publications
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 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 capability15 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Republic of Korea (Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2026Korea-Czech Advanced Robot Industry Partnership Initiative establishing joint research, technology transfer, and infrastructure building in advanced robotics. Includes establishment of Korea-Czech Robot Cooperation Center and joint robotics laboratory at CIIRC CTU. Cooperation builds on Memorandum of Understanding on Korea-Czech Technical Cooperation in Robotics.
• KEIT, KETI, KIRIA, KIRO, KOTRA (Korean research and innovation organizations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKorean research and innovation organizations participating in Korea-Czech Advanced Robot Industry Partnership Initiative for joint robotics research and technology development.
• ELLIS Unit Prague / ELLIS Unit CzechiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS) unit led by Josef Šivic as Director, expanding to nationwide ELLIS Unit Czechia initiative for AI research excellence.
• National Centre for Industry 4.0 (NCP 4.0)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational coordination center hosted at CIIRC for Industry 4.0 research, implementation, and industry outreach in Czech Republic.
• National Centre for Construction 4.0 (NCS 4.0)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational center for Construction 4.0 research and implementation, co-located with CIIRC activities.
• RICAIP (Research and Innovation Centre on Advanced Industrial Production)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRICAIP Testbed Prague - a major European research and innovation center for advanced industrial production, featuring state-of-the-art robotics and AI testing facilities.
• Centre of City of the FuturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmart cities research and implementation center focused on urban automation and intelligent city infrastructure.
• eClub Prague Research IncubatorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch incubator collaboration supporting startup ecosystem and technology transfer from CIIRC research.
• ČVUT Media Lab FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedia and communication collaboration with ČVUT Media Lab Foundation.
• Mayo Clinic (USA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational healthcare research collaboration with globally renowned Mayo Clinic for AI applications in medical diagnostics and assistive technologies.
• Seven Clinical Institutions in Czech RepubliccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with seven Czech clinical institutions for healthcare AI research, medical diagnostics, and assistive technology development under the BEAT (Biomedical Engineering and Assistive Technology) department.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Czech Technical University in Prague – Faculty of Electrical Engineering: Sister faculty within the same parent university (ČVUT). Adjacent research areas in cybernetics, control and AI but historically more teaching-oriented; CIIRC was created as a focused research complement.

Direct peers

• Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems: German research institute conducting fundamental research in AI, robotics, computer vision and cybernetics with significant industry partnerships. Highly comparable scope, scale and publication footprint to CIIRC.
• INRIA (French National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology): French national research institute for digital science and robotics with multiple research centers across Europe. Comparable in operating model (public research, industry partnerships) and research areas (AI, robotics, vision).
• ETH Zurich AI Center: Swiss university-affiliated AI/robotics research hub with strong industry ties. Directly comparable in research focus (machine learning, robotics, vision) and university-incubator operating model.
• ELLIS (European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems): Pan-European AI research network. CIIRC hosts ELLIS Unit Prague and is expanding it to ELLIS Unit Czechia, making ELLIS the closest peer in terms of mission, structure and research scope.
• Italian Institute of Technology (IIT): Public research foundation focused on robotics, AI, and cognitive sciences with industry collaboration programs. Closely comparable in mission, applied-research orientation, and partnership-based funding model.

Broad incumbents

• Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute: World-leading US robotics research institute within CMU. Directly comparable in robotics and machine perception focus, though operating at substantially larger scale and budget.
• Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (SAIL): Top US university AI research lab. Comparable research scope (computer vision, robotics, machine learning) and publication profile, but with a far larger industry partner network and funding base.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials (and broader Fraunhofer Society): Germany's applied research powerhouse running numerous institutes in robotics, automation, AI and Industry 4.0. Competes with CIIRC for EU applied-research grants and German/Central European industry partnerships.
• MIT CSAIL: Premier US university-affiliated AI and robotics research lab. Competes with CIIRC for global talent, publications in CVPR/NeurIPS, and prestige in fundamental AI research.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CIIRCCTU
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCMx1bHNhy4qgd5Jf6RXWOHA
• Facebookfacebook.com/ciircctu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ciirc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics