Research

From its very beginning, the Faculty of Informatics has been developing basic and applied research aiming at resolving the challenges of the fast development of information systems. With a staff of 65 researchers working in tight collaboration with Belgian and foreign research centres, universities and businesses, the Faculty tackles the most demanding challenges posed by the introduction of the information and communication technologies in our daily life and in our work activities. The unique characteristic of this research is its interdisciplinary and holistic approach. Indeed, many problems are handled not only from the technical point of view, but also with methodological, organizational and quite often social concerns.

• The Research Centre in Information Systems Engineering (PRECISE) addresses the different processes of information system analysis, development, deployment and evolution. More precisely, it develops practical solutions for enterprise modelling, requirement analysis, quality assessment and software improvement, database engineering, cooperative architectures. These solutions are based on a wide range of techniques, from formal approaches to CASE tools. PRECISE also explores agent-based systems, service-oriented architectures and product line development.
• The Research Group on the Foundations of Computer Science (FOCUS) aims to federate researchers interested in the foundations of computing. The center is built on the expertise of several professors currently associated with the university. Two main lines of research are planned for the center: the study of declarative languages, and decision making and performance study.
• The Research Center on Informatics, Law and Society (CRIDS)
• The Laboratory for Ethical Governance of Information Technology (LEGIT) aims to overcome the limitations of the current ethical approaches in relation to technology. The originality of LEGIT’s research is to develop a new level of consideration regarding the ethical analysis of technological research and development. 

The Faculty collaborates closely with more than 30 universities and labs here and abroad, and has developed partnerships with several cutting edge enterprises.

It is a founding and active member of 3 doctoral programmes in computer science and created the CETIC (Centre of Excellence in Computer Science Technologies and Communication), whose mission is technology transfer towards industry, together with UCL at Louvain-la-Neuve and Faculté Polytechnique de Mons.