Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa)
ISR-Lisboa is a non-profit robotics research institute at Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, employing around 98 faculty, researchers, and PhD students. It conducts publicly funded research across marine, aerial, terrestrial, and space robotics, computer vision, brain-computer interfaces, and multi-agent AI, serving academic, EU, and industry partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersLisbon, Portugal
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa) does
ISR-Lisboa (Institute for Systems and Robotics) is a non-profit academic research institution established in 1992 and hosted at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) within the University of Lisbon. It conducts fundamental and applied research across marine, aerial, terrestrial, and space robotics, alongside computer vision, brain-computer interfaces (BCI), autonomous multi-agent systems, and optimization/planning under uncertainty. The institute is staffed by approximately 98 faculty members, researchers, and PhD students and serves the academic community, EU and Portuguese public-sector funders, and industrial research partners through collaborative research projects, doctoral training, and limited technology transfer.
ISR-Lisboa's research output spans deep learning–based computer vision (notably CNN-based breast-cancer screening, the precursor to spin-off BreastScreening-AI), reinforcement learning and model-predictive control for autonomous navigation, multi-robot coordination, neuroadaptive BCI systems, and LLM-augmented robotics planning. Notable funded programs include the euROBIN European robotics network, NOISyS (Petri-net planning, ~€249K), HOTSPOT (extreme-scale SLAM benchmarking, ~€100K), and Deep Mutation (CNN medical imaging, ~€50K). The institute maintains recurring research collaboration with DLR, KIT, INRIA, CEA, EPFL, ETH Zurich, Volkswagen, and Siemens, and has signaled first Latin American outreach via a 2026 visit to SENAI Brazil.
The institute's business model is non-commercial: revenue is sourced entirely from competitively awarded public-sector research grants — primarily the Portuguese FCT and EU programs (Horizon Europe, MSCA, EIC) — rather than product sales or licensing. Technology transfer occurs through academic publication, doctoral training, and selective spin-off creation (e.g., BreastScreening-AI). Visible project-level allocations to ISR total roughly €694K across four recent grants, while broader participation in multi-partner EU consortia implies an aggregate annual operating budget in the low-to-mid eight figures (Euros). ISR-Lisboa's profile is that of a publicly funded R&D platform, not a revenue-generating commercial entity, and any investment angle is necessarily tied to its spin-off pipeline and grant-funded research output rather than top-line product sales.
Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa) firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa)
- Legal name
- Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa)
- Website
- https://isr.tecnico.ulisboa.pt
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- ISR-Lisboa is a non-profit robotics research institute at Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, employing around 98 faculty, researchers, and PhD students. It conducts publicly funded research across marine, aerial, terrestrial, and space robotics, computer vision, brain-computer interfaces, and multi-agent AI, serving academic, EU, and industry partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa) industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Robotics Research
- NAICS
- Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAM)
Keywords
Where Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa) is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lisbon
- HQ country
- Portugal
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa) business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Research Project Funding: Funded through competitive EU research programs (Horizon Europe, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions), national funding from FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia), and international research collaborations
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa) product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ISR-Lisboa is an academic research, development, and innovation institution that conducts fundamental and applied research in robotics and information processing with applications across neurosciences, big data, marine, terrestrial, aerial, and space robotics. It delivers outputs through funded research projects (e.g., euROBIN, HOTSPOT, NOISyS, Deep Mutation), doctoral training programs at Instituto Superior Técnico, academic publications, and technology transfer via spin-off startups. The institute does not sell commercial products; instead, it competes for and executes publicly funded research programs and industry collaborations.
Product overview
ISR-Lisboa is a research, development, and innovation institution focused on robotic systems and information processing, established in 1992. As an academic research institute at Instituto Superior Técnico, it does not offer commercial products but conducts fundamental and applied research across multiple domains including robotics, artificial intelligence, computer vision, and biomedical engineering. The institute develops various research platforms (such as Space CoBot, Chico the Robot, and FeedBot robotic arm) and conducts funded research projects in areas such as marine robotics, aerial robotics, brain-computer interfaces, and autonomous vehicles. Research outputs include publications, doctoral programs, and spin-off startups rather than commercial product offerings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- euROBIN - European Robotics and AI Network European Robotics and AI Network coordinating knowledge transfer between robots, tasks, research groups, and application domains across 30+ European partners.
- HOTSPOT - Human-robOt TeamS without PrecoOrdinaTion Research project on ad hoc teamwork enabling robots to cooperate with unknown agents without predefined coordination strategies or communication protocols.
- NOISyS - Neuroadaptive Systems for Brain Restoration Neuroadaptive system combining brain-computer interfaces with virtual reality for brain restoration and rehabilitation applications.
- Deep Mutation CNN - Genetic Mutation Prediction CNN-based deep learning model to predict genetic mutations in melanoma patient medical images for diagnostic support.
- Doctoral Programs at Instituto Superior Técnico Doctoral training programs in robotics, AI, and related fields hosted at Instituto Superior Técnico, with scholarships funded through FCT, MSCA, and other programs.
Quantifiable outcome
- BreastScreening-AI selected among ~70 out of 1000+ applicants for EIC Pre-Accelerator
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa)
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa) technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability12 records
Feature5 records
Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa) partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- SENAI Institute of InnovationminorTechnical visit from SENAI Institute of Innovation (Brazil) to establish potential research partnerships. Based in Joinville, Brazil, focused on Manufacturing Systems.
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt EV (DLR)coreCoordinator of euROBIN (European Robotics and AI Network) project. DLR leads a consortium of 30+ European partners working on transferability of robotics skills and software between robots, tasks, research groups, and application domains.
- Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)corePartner in euROBIN project focusing on boosting physical interaction capabilities for robotics, increasing safety, reliability, and energy efficiency in robot systems.
- Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et Automatique (INRIA)corePartner in euROBIN network contributing to machine learning research for robots to acquire new behaviors and adapt to novel situations.
- Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (CEA)coreeuROBIN partner contributing to robotics research in manufacturing applications for circular economy.
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)corePartner in euROBIN focusing on enabling robots to represent, exchange, query, and reason about abstract knowledge.
- Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH Zurich)coreeuROBIN partner contributing to human-centric design paradigm research making AI-enabled robots accessible, usable, and trustworthy.
- Teknologisk InstitutcoreeuROBIN partner from Denmark contributing to robotics applications for industry and civil society.
- Volkswagen AktiengesellschaftcoreIndustry partner in euROBIN project applying robotics research to manufacturing and automation.
- Siemens AktiengesellschaftcoreeuROBIN partner contributing to robotic manufacturing applications for circular economy.
- LARSyS - Laboratory for Robotics and Engineering SystemscoreAssociated research laboratory integrated with ISR-Lisboa, part of the broader research ecosystem at Instituto Superior Técnico.
- Instituto Superior TécnicocoreHost institution of ISR-Lisboa, providing academic framework, facilities, and doctoral programs.
- INESC-ID / INESC / IST / ULisboacoreCoordinating institution for HOTSPOT project on human-robot teamwork without precoordination.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa) competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ETH Zurich - Autonomous Systems Lab: ETH Zurich's Autonomous Systems Lab conducts research in robotics, computer vision, and learning for autonomous systems. It is a direct peer and an euROBIN consortium partner of ISR-Lisboa, competing for European robotics funding and talent.
- MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL): MIT CSAIL is a premier academic robotics and AI research lab. It is directly comparable to ISR-Lisboa as both conduct fundamental and applied research in robotics, multi-agent systems, and AI, and compete for top faculty, PhD students, and EU/US research funding.
- INRIA (French National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology): INRIA is France's national public institute for digital science research, with substantial robotics and AI activity. It is a direct peer and an euROBIN consortium partner of ISR-Lisboa, operating under a similar public-research-institute model with national and EU funding.
- Stanford Robotics Lab: Stanford Robotics Lab conducts research in manipulation, locomotion, and autonomous systems. It is directly comparable to ISR-Lisboa as a top academic robotics research institution, competing globally for talent and funding.
- Italian Institute of Technology (IIT): IIT is a public Italian research foundation focused on robotics, neuroscience, and computational sciences. It is directly comparable to ISR-Lisboa in scope (humanoid robotics, brain-computer interfaces, marine robotics) and funding model (national + EU grants).
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT): KIT is a leading German technical university with significant robotics and AI research. It is a direct peer and euROBIN partner of ISR-Lisboa, operating under comparable public-university research-institute structures.
- EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne): EPFL hosts leading robotics and AI research groups with strong ties to EU networks. It is a direct peer and euROBIN consortium partner of ISR-Lisboa, with comparable research scope and similar EU project-based funding model.
- Oxford Robotics Institute (ORI): Oxford Robotics Institute conducts research in autonomous systems, multi-robot coordination, and field robotics. It is directly comparable to ISR-Lisboa in research areas (multi-robot systems, autonomy) and in competing for UK/EU robotics funding.
- Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute: CMU Robotics Institute is one of the world's largest and most influential academic robotics research centers. It is directly comparable to ISR-Lisboa in research scope (multi-robot systems, field robotics, AI) and competes globally for talent and research grants.
- DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics: DLR's robotics institute conducts research in space robotics, autonomous systems, and human-robot interaction. It is a direct peer and coordinator of euROBIN alongside ISR-Lisboa, with similar national-agency funding structure.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa) social profiles
Digital presenceInstitute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa) compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa) financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa) leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa) funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa) M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa)
What does Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa) do?
ISR-Lisboa is an academic research, development, and innovation institution that conducts fundamental and applied research in robotics and information processing with applications across neurosciences, big data, marine, terrestrial, aerial, and space robotics. It delivers outputs through funded research projects (e.g., euROBIN, HOTSPOT, NOISyS, Deep Mutation), doctoral training programs at Instituto Superior Técnico, academic publications, and technology transfer via spin-off startups. The institute does not sell commercial products; instead, it competes for and executes publicly funded research programs and industry collaborations.
Is Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa) a public or private company?
Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa) is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa) founded?
Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa) was founded in 1992. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa) based?
Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa) is headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, in the Europe region.
How does Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa) make money?
One revenue line is on record: research Project Funding.
Who are Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa)'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ETH Zurich - Autonomous Systems Lab, MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), INRIA (French National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology), Stanford Robotics Lab, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), Oxford Robotics Institute (ORI), Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute and DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics.
Does Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa) have an API?
No public API is recorded for Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa).
What industry is Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa) in?
Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa)'s product category is Robotics Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAIAM, Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Engineering Consulting. Its NAICS code is 5417 and its SIC code is 8731.