The Institute is involved in fundamental as well as applied research in computer science, artificial intelligence, stochastic informatics, signal/image processing and pattern recognition, control theory, systems theory, and econometrics (for more about the research topics go to the pages of scientific departments).

The Institute contributes to increasing the level of knowledge and education and to applications of research results in practice. The Institute works independently or in cooperation with universities and other institutions.

The Institute is very active in international cooperation. It has participated in several EU-funded projects and many bilateral agreements and contracts.

On the national level, the Institute closely cooperates with 8 faculties of 4 universities, with other institutes of the ASCR, and with industry. The top forms of the cooperation are Joint Research Centers and Joint Laboratories (SALOME, Center for Monetary Macro-dynamics, CAK II, DAR, CQR, CZVDEE). The institute is a principal investigator of many national research projects funded mostly by GA CR and GA AV.