The Informatics Research Centre encompasses five research groups active in the areas of artificial intelligence, cognitive science, distributed real-time systems, information systems and software systems, as well as a joint research program in information fusion that involves most of these groups. Major synergistic effects are achieved by joining these research efforts into one research center.
What is informatics?
For us informatics is the science that addresses how information is represented, processed and communicated in artificial and natural systems, and how such systems are developed in order to achieve usable and effective applications and solutions. The following aspects of informatics are included in the definition:
- Computational
Basic theory and methodology for the use of computers.
- Cognitive
How humans process information and interact with different types of information technology.
- Social/organizational
How individuals, groups and organizations use, develop, are influenced by and influence IT-based systems.
- Socio-technical
How “soft” and “hard” aspects of information technology interact.
The integration of these aspects is essential for achieving usable and effective applications and systems.
Who we are
The five research groups participating in the research centre are:
• Cognition & Interaction Lab
• Distributed Real-time Systems
• Information Systems
• Software Systems
• Skövde Artificial Intelligence Lab
At the University of Skövde, we chose an integrated approach to conduct research and education in informatics that joins the various aspects of the field. One concrete result of this approach is the Information Fusion Research Program (www.infofusion.se), funded by the Knowledge Foundation. Another result is a high degree of co-authorship between the involved research groups.
The research and its organization
Our vision is to be a leading environment, internationally and nationally, for research and research education in the field of informatics with special focus on the development and use of IT for the good of man and society.
One of the strengths of the research centre is based on the broad view on informatics and the collaboration between its research groups, which enables us to address problems that require several disciplines to join forces.
Our view is that interdisciplinary research targeting a specific domain has a greater potential of generating applicable results for that domain than research involving a single discipline. The joint research program in information fusion is a clear example of this approach. Information fusion is the synergistic integration of information from different sources about the behavior of a particular system, to support decisions and actions relating to the system. Research targeting the technical as well as the usage aspects of information fusion is carried out in the program. The research program is vital for the further development of industry and society in a complex world of information and focuses on a research area of high industrial relevance.
The strength of the centre is also based on the more focused research carried out by the research groups individually. This is exemplified by our involvement in and the co-ordination of several European projects. Research at the European level is mainly targeting cognitive robotics and the open source phenomenon.
Our broad view on informatics also allows us to target a large variety of application domains. This diversity is demonstrated by the fact that we are currently working with applications e.g. in the healthcare, retailing, crisis management, pharmaceutical, and military domains, involving both national and international partners. Information systems in healthcare is one area under great development. Here research focuses on systems that support collaboration between healthcare providers in the care of patients.