Institute of Information Theory and Automation of the ASCR

What Institute of Information Theory and Automation of the ASCR does

The Institute of Information Theory and Automation of the ASCR (ÚTIA) is a public research institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, established in 1959 and headquartered in Prague 8, Czechia. It employs approximately 39 staff and operates across four research domains: artificial intelligence, signal and image processing, systems theory, and applied mathematics. The institute is organized into specialized departments, including the Department of Adaptive Systems (est. 1962) focused on Bayesian modeling and atmospheric inverse problems, and the Department of Decision-Making Theory (MTR), which works on mathematical optimization, variational calculus, and probabilistic decision-support methods.

ÚTIA's core technical capabilities include proprietary Bayesian inverse-modeling methods for estimating atmospheric pollutant sources (radionuclides, ammonia, microplastics), combining Bayesian inference with deep neural networks for spatial-temporal emissions estimation. Additional technical work spans texture analysis, invariant image description, blind deconvolution, super-resolution, video object tracking, embedded signal-processing implementations, probability theory, applied statistics, and econometrics. The institute's work is validated against historical atmospheric events such as the Chernobyl accident and subsequent iodine and ruthenium releases.

Commercially, ÚTIA is not a product company. Revenue comes from institutional funding from the Czech Academy of Sciences and competitive research grants (notably GAČR project GA24-10400S, 2024-2026, for Bayesian atmospheric source estimation), with research collaborations and expert consultations negotiated on a project basis. Go-to-market occurs through academic publications, international conferences, workshops (e.g., WUPES, GAMM PDE workshops), popular science events (Science Fair), and direct collaborations with international partners including NILU, Tsinghua University, and ČVUT. The institute's customer base is effectively the Czech public R&D funding ecosystem and a small network of academic and governmental research partners.

Name

Institute of Information Theory and Automation of the ASCR

Legal name

Ústav teorie informace a automatizace Akademie věd České republiky

Website

https://utia.cas.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ÚTIA is a 39-employee public research institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague, conducting fundamental and applied research in AI, signal/image processing, systems theory, and applied mathematics for academic and governmental partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific Research Services

NAICS

Public Administration (92)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHAJAB

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) & Due Diligence

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) Consulting

SECONDARYEUAHAAAC

EIA/ESIA Documentation & Technical Studies (Air/Water/Noise/Traffic)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Compliance, Monitoring & Consulting/Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) & Permitting

Keywords

• Applied mathematics research
• Artificial intelligence research
• Signal image processing
• Decision theory research
• Atmospheric modeling 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. Public Research Funding: As a research institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences (Akademie věd České republiky), ÚTIA is primarily funded through government research grants, institutional funding from the Academy of Sciences, and project-based funding from agencies such as the Czech Science Foundation (GAČR). Revenue comes from grants for specific research projects rather than commercial product sales.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ÚTIA is a public research institution of the Czech Academy of Sciences that conducts fundamental and applied research across four core areas: artificial intelligence, signal and image processing, systems theory, and applied mathematics. The institute develops algorithms and mathematical models — including Bayesian inverse modeling for atmospheric source estimation, computer vision methods, and probabilistic decision support systems — and disseminates findings via peer-reviewed publications, conferences, and collaborative research projects.

Product overview

The Institute of Information Theory and Automation of the ASCR (ÚTIA) is a public research institution within the Czech Academy of Sciences that conducts basic and applied research. It is not a commercial product company but rather an academic research institute organized into specialized departments including the Department of Decision-Making Theory (MTR) focused on applied mathematics and decision sciences, and the Department of Adaptive Systems focused on Bayesian methods and atmospheric research. The institute's offerings consist of research methodologies, scientific publications, and expert consultation rather than commercial products or services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MTR: Department of Decision-Making Theory - research department focused on applied mathematics, mathematical optimization, differential equations, and decision support systems.

Products and services

• Department of Decision-Making Theory (MTR) Research department providing expertise in applied mathematics including mathematical optimization, nonsmooth analysis, differential equations, variational problems, probabilistic models, conditional independence structures, uncertainty in AI, mathematical logic, and multicriteria decision making. It serves academic and government clients requiring advanced mathematical modeling and decision support research.
• Department of Adaptive Systems Research department providing expertise in Bayesian modeling, inverse problems in atmospheric modeling, atmospheric emissions estimation (radionuclides, microplastics, ammonia), and adaptive systems theory. It serves government agencies, environmental monitoring bodies, and academic partners.
• Atmospheric Release Estimation Methods Research methodology offering advanced Bayesian inference methods combined with deep neural networks for estimating atmospheric pollutant sources, including radionuclide releases, microplastics, and ammonia emissions. The methodology uses optimization techniques comparing observed measurements with numerical predictions from atmospheric dispersion models. It is provided to government agencies, CTBTO, and environmental monitoring partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Jan Valdman appointed Full Professor in 2026 by President Petr Pavel
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability10 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered emerging, minor and core.

• Tsinghua University - Institute of Nuclear and New Energy TechnologyemergingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Ondřej Tichý visited Dr. Sheng Fang at Tsinghua University's Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technologies in Beijing in May 2026. The visit focused on potential joint research collaboration in inverse modeling of radionuclide releases into the atmosphere, including discussions on possible joint projects between the two institutions. The collaboration is funded by Czech Science Foundation (GAČR) project GA24-10400S.
• 4EU+ European University AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026ÚTIA participates in the 4EU+ European University Alliance through Prof. Martin Kružík's lectureship at the 4EU+ Masterclass in Mathematics 2026 at Heidelberg University. The alliance provides a framework for advanced mathematics education across partner universities.
• Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Long-term cooperation with the Norwegian Institute for Air Research on emissions of microplastics and microfibers. NILU provides atmospheric monitoring data and expertise that complements ÚTIA's Bayesian inverse modeling capabilities for environmental pollutant source estimation.
• University of ZagrebminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration with Igor Velčić from the University of Zagreb (Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing), who visited ÚTIA in April 2026. His research focuses on applied mathematics and continuum mechanics with emphasis on homogenization and dimension reduction.
• Tel Aviv UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Anatoly Khina from Tel Aviv University's School of Electrical Engineering hosted a seminar at ÚTIA's Department of Decision-Making Theory in April 2026 on Geometry-oriented Measures of Dependence.
• Czech Technical University (ČVUT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong institutional partnership with ČVUT (Czech Technical University). Ondřej Tichý holds an adjunct/lecturer position at FIT ČVUT since 2018. The institutions share faculty and collaborate on research projects and student supervision.
• GAMM Activity Group on Analysis of Partial Differential EquationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerÚTIA hosted the 12th Workshop of the GAMM Activity Group 'Analysis of Partial Differential Equations' in September 2024. The workshop fosters cooperation among mathematicians working in PDE analysis across multiple institutions.
• Czech Academy of SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerÚTIA is a constituent institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, the premier scientific institution in the Czech Republic. The Academy provides institutional funding and administrative framework.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Max Planck Institute for Informatics: German national research institute conducting foundational research in algorithms, computer vision, machine learning, and information theory. Comparable to ÚTIA as a publicly funded European research institute working on AI, signal processing, and theoretical foundations, though at significantly larger scale.
• INRIA (French National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology): France's national public research institute dedicated to digital science and AI. Highly comparable to ÚTIA in mission (fundamental and applied AI/math research) and structure (government-backed, multi-departmental research organization).
• Czech Technical University in Prague — Faculty of Information Technology (FIT ČVUT): Czech academic institution conducting AI, computer vision, and applied mathematics research, with formal faculty exchange with ÚTIA (Ondřej Tichý holds an adjunct position there since 2018). Closest direct academic peer within Czechia.
• Tsinghua University — Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology (INET): Chinese university institute focused on nuclear and energy research, currently exploring joint inverse modeling collaboration with ÚTIA. Comparable in applied mathematical modeling for atmospheric releases and nuclear safety contexts.
• Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU): Norwegian government-affiliated institute conducting atmospheric and environmental research. Direct peer given the existing NILU–ÚTIA collaboration on microplastics emissions, with comparable focus on atmospheric monitoring and source attribution.

Broad incumbents

• Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems (IAIS): Part of Germany's Fraunhofer Society for applied research, with significant AI and data analytics capability. Comparable as a publicly funded applied research institute operating at greater scale and with stronger industry commercialization links.
• Italian National Research Council (CNR): Italy's largest public research organization with broad portfolios in applied mathematics, computer science, and environmental research. Comparable as a Southern European publicly funded national research umbrella, but with much broader and larger scope.

Regional players

• Polish Academy of Sciences — Institute of Fundamental Technological Research (IPPT PAN): Polish national academy institute conducting research in mechanics, applied mathematics, and computer science. Comparable as a Central European publicly funded research institute with overlapping interests in optimization, PDE analysis, and signal processing.
• Hungarian Academy of Sciences — Institute for Computer Science and Control (SZTAKI): Hungarian national academy institute focused on computer science, control theory, and applied mathematics. Comparable as a regional peer with similar academy-of-sciences funding structure and overlapping research in systems theory and decision-making.

Others

• German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ Helmholtz): Major German public research center with significant atmospheric and environmental modeling programs including pollutant source estimation. Comparable in atmospheric source attribution research area, though much larger and operating under Helmholtz rather than academy-of-sciences structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=o3_wIc4Ug00
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-of-information-theory-and-automation-of-the-ascr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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