The Research Institute for Informatics (ICI) has held the position, for twenty five years now, of a powerful and proficient centre for advanced researches in the field of computer science and computer based automatic control. Status validated by reputation has ever been looked after. We take a look below at what this institution stood for and at what it stands now for.

1.1. ICI at a glance

1970 was the year when the Research Institute for Informatics (then known as Central Institute for Informatics) was created as the main advanced research centre in Information Technology. Since its inauguration in 1970, this institution was subject to five transformations,which its various denominations also reflected.

Here are its five turning points.

• 1972 "Central Institute for Control Systems based on Automation Devices" (ISCMA)as of that time, proceeded on, defining its organisational structure.
  
  
• 1975 It came to be "Central Institute for Management and Informatics" (ICCI), when advanced research projects started and were stimulated by the personal commitment and clear perspective of the management.
  
  
• 1985 It stood for the "Information Technology" Department of Research Institute for Computer Technique and Informatics (ICSIT-TCI). That time interval was marked by the emphasis put on furthering and exploiting the research results.
  
  
• 1990 It came to be the "Research Institute for Informatics" as of now ,and the necessity of its tuning to free market demands was to impress a special mark on its carrying out of scientific works.
  
  

  Over the years, the institution's research teams have shown their creative potential, internationally recognised, in such areas as distributed processing and computer networks (dr.- ing. M. Guran, dr. math. F. Paunescu, ing. I. Popa, dr.-ing. E. Staicut) , large scale systems and hierarchical systems, (dr.-ing. F.G. Filip- corresponding member of the Romanian Academy, dr.-ing. F. Stanciulescu, dr.-ing. N. Andrei), process control and real-time systems (dr.-ing. A. Davidoviciu, ing. M. Laza,ing. R. Andrei, ing. A. Domide), DSS (dr.-ing. F.G. Filip, ing. D.A. Donciulescu, ing. G. Neagu), mathematical modelling and fuzzy systems (dr. math. C.V. Negoita, dr. math. M. Sularia, dr.-ing. D.Radulescu), CAD of advanced control and identification systems (dr.-ing. V. Sima, dr.-ing. Th. Popescu, ing. C. Vasiliu, dr.-ing. A. Varga), artificial intelligence, expert systems, computational linguistics ( Acad. dr.-ing. M. Draganescu, Acad. dr.-ing. G. Tecuci, dr. -ing. D. Tufis, dr.-ing. M. Barbuceanu, dr.-ing. St. Trausan-Matu), information systems' design (ing. P. Vasilescu, ing. I. Trandafir, ec. N. Badea, ing. F. Melenciuc, ing. St. Elian, ing. N. Comnescu), databases (dr.math. M. Draghici, ing.R. Bercaru).

  Valuable research works conferred on ICI the status of an European advanced research centre. These works have been nationally gratified by the Romanian Academy, when including among their prize winners the following:
  

1. I.Trandafir, A. Csaba, C.Taraca, E.Gheorghiu, M.Vatui, A.Leu, A.Cojocaru,M.Kelemen-"Analysis and Computer Design of Information Systems", 1980.
2. A. Davidoviciu, R.Magda,M. Laza, A. Moanga, M.Draghicescu, A.Domide- "Control Systems for Industrial Robots",1981.
3. M.Guran, F.Paunescu, V.Papadopol, S.Coman, L.Onulescu, E.Staicut- "National Data Transmission Network (RENOD) and National Computer Network (RENAC)", 1985.
4. Gh.Tecuci - "Researches on Machine Learning. The DISCIPLE System", 1987.
5. D.Tufis - "AI Researches on Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning. The IURES System", 1988.
6. V .Sima - " New Methods in Applied Mathematics", 1992.

On the 22nd and the 23rd of September 1995, ICI celebrated its silver jubilee. The event was dedicated a jubilee session on "Trends in Applied Informatics" , and a Panel Discussion on "Information Society- Everybody's Creation". On the same occasion an "IT Exhibition" was organized. The audience included professionals from Romania and other countries. A three- chapter volume was produced for marking the silver jubilee : "25 Years of Informatics", "History of An Institute", "Contributions to Research & Development", "Liber Amicorum".

1.2. ICI at present

ICI is now co-ordinated by National Commission of Informatics (a specialized body of the Government) and keeps scientific contacts with Ministry for Research and Technology and the Romanian Academy ("Information Science and Technology" Section).

1.2.1. Activities

The following activities were carried out:

• advanced research and applied research in IT
  
• dissemination of the research results
  
• analysis, design, programming and implementation of large-scale information systems for industry and public administration
• systems for industry and public administration
  
• consultancy on IT , automatic control and management (feasibility studies, offer-support technical specifications, modernization studies, etc.)
  
• "Turnkey" systems delivery upon users' requests
  
• highly generalizable and applicable software development
• training and knowledge improvement in information technology
• cost-effectiveness estimation in computing technique and standardization in IT
• technical assistance on the implementation of the ICI-developed software and of other companies-developed software, information and documentation in IT.

Technical staff included:

• 95 certified researchers
  
• 149 certified analysts/programmers
  
• 19 candidates to doctoral degree
  
• 13 Ph.D holders
  
• 1 members of the Romanian Academy

• engineers: 175
  
• mathematicians: 73
  
• economists: 36

1.2.3. Hardware

The computing equipments platform consists of:

SUN-SPARC 10 Model 30 workstations, Silicon Graphics INDIGO2 EXTREME, IBM RISC 6000 and DEC 3000 Model 300 ALPHA, Micro VAX 3100, VAX 730, PC 586,486,386,286.

1.2.4. International Contacts

The institution has embarked upon 20 European joint research projects which are carried out under EC-PECO, COPERNICUS and ESPRIT Programmes. It also participated in international working groups. ICI is a node in NOE in the field of IT: computer networks, multimedia, expert systems, genetic algorithms, virtual reality, intelligent control and process control systems, DSS, process monitoring, simulation.

ICI acts as operator of the National Research and Higher Education Network (RNC)

1.2.5. Training and Knowledge Dissemination

Six ICI-based Technology Transfer Centres disseminate the R&D results and apply modern technologies in:

• Computer Integrated Manufacturing and Engineering
  
• Decision Support Systems
  
• Open Systems
  
• Methodologies and Technologies in IT (CASE included)
  
• Information Systems for Public Administration
  
• Standards
  

• Romanian Journal of Information Technology and Automatic Control (in Romanian),
  a national journal
  
• Studies in Informatics and Control (in English), with an international Editorial Board (an international journal).

1.3 SYNOPSIS of the Scientific Activity Carried out by the Research Institute for InformaticsJanuary-December 1994

Information provided by: ICI INDIS team
Last modified: 1996 May 24