LATVIJAS UNIVERSITATES MATEMATIKAS UN INFORMATIKAS INSTITUTS

Their core work

IMCS (Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Latvia) is a Riga-based research institute specializing in computer science, natural language processing, and networked systems. They contribute to pan-European research networking infrastructure through long-running GÉANT projects, develop NLP and multilingual AI technologies (speech-to-text, machine translation, named entity recognition), and work on autonomous systems for drones and precision agriculture. Their applied work bridges fundamental computer science with real-world domains like farming automation and multilingual knowledge transfer.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

IMCS began H2020 focused on research networking infrastructure (GÉANT) and transatlantic connectivity (BELLA-S1), combined with early work in cyber-physical systems for precision farming (AFarCloud). From 2019 onward, they maintained their networking backbone while branching into autonomous drone systems (COMP4DRONES) and, most notably, AI-driven multilingual language technologies (SELMA). The shift toward NLP and multilingual AI — their largest single grant — signals a strategic pivot from pure infrastructure toward applied AI and language technology.

IMCS is moving from network infrastructure provision toward applied AI, particularly multilingual NLP and autonomous systems — expect future work at the intersection of language technology and digital infrastructure.

How they like to work

IMCS operates exclusively as a participant, never coordinating projects, which suggests they contribute specialized technical expertise rather than driving project agendas. They work in large consortia — 157 unique partners across 42 countries indicates broad collaborative reach, largely through the massive GÉANT consortium. This makes them an experienced, low-friction partner comfortable operating within complex multi-partner environments.

With 157 unique consortium partners across 42 countries, IMCS has one of the broadest networks achievable — largely driven by participation in the pan-European GÉANT infrastructure projects. Their network spans from Latin America (BELLA-S1) to the full European research community.

What sets them apart

IMCS combines deep expertise in European research networking infrastructure with emerging strength in multilingual AI — a rare combination that positions them at the intersection of digital infrastructure and language technology. As Latvia's primary computer science research institute, they bring Baltic and Eastern European language expertise that is underrepresented in most EU consortia. Their dual track of infrastructure and applied AI makes them a versatile partner for projects needing both backbone connectivity and intelligent processing.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SELMA
  Largest funded project (EUR 576,250) and a strategic pivot into multilingual AI covering speech-to-text, machine translation, and stream learning — their most distinctive technical contribution.
• COMP4DRONES
  Framework project for safe autonomous drone applications, demonstrating IMCS capability in security, safety, and interoperability for unmanned systems.
• AFarCloud
  Applied cyber-physical systems to precision agriculture, showing IMCS can bridge computer science fundamentals with real-world farming and livestock challenges.