Est. 1988 · University of Porto · FCUP & FEUP
Advancing Artificial Intelligence
Through Research
Connecting technology and innovation with clarity and purpose. Where algorithms meet ambition.
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Spotlight
Latest News
Research & Innovation
That Matters
Machine Learning
New deep learning model outperforms benchmarks in medical image segmentation
LIACC researchers developed a novel architecture combining transformer attention with convolutional feature extraction, achieving state-of-the-art results across three clinical datasets.
NLP
PortugueseBERT reaches 1M downloads — milestone for Iberian language AI
The Portuguese language model developed at LIACC has been downloaded over one million times by researchers and developers worldwide, cementing its role as the reference NLP resource for Portuguese.
Award
LIACC robotics team wins RoboCup 2024 — third international title
The autonomous systems team returned from RoboCup 2024 with gold, demonstrating real-time coordination between five robots using a newly developed multi-agent reinforcement learning framework.
Applied Research
Intelligence
in the Real World
Where laboratory results become real-world impact. Ongoing LIACC projects with direct societal and industrial application.
⚕
Health AI
Early cancer detection via AI-augmented imaging
In collaboration with Hospital de São João, LIACC is developing a diagnostic AI that identifies early-stage lung nodules in CT scans with sensitivity exceeding radiologist baselines.
🏭
Industry 4.0
Predictive maintenance for critical industrial infrastructure
Time-series anomaly detection models deployed across Portuguese industrial facilities, reducing unplanned downtime by 34% in pilot programmes with three manufacturing partners.
🏙
Smart Cities
Real-time traffic optimisation for Porto metropolitan area
Multi-agent reinforcement learning controlling 240 traffic signals across Porto, reducing average commute time by 18% and CO₂ emissions by an estimated 12% in the pilot corridor.
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Legal AI
Automated analysis of Portuguese administrative law documents
NLP system processing public procurement documents, contract compliance, and administrative decisions to surface inconsistencies and flag potential regulatory violations.
Collaborating Institutions & Partners
FCT
Funding
U. Porto
Host University
INESC TEC
Research
Bosch
Industry
CMU Portugal
International
EU Horizon
Funding
MIT CSAIL
Research
FCUP
Faculty
FEUP
Faculty
Portugal 2030
Funding
Research Areas
Where Intelligence
Takes Shape
Seven core domains where LIACC researchers push the boundaries of what machines can learn, reason, and achieve.
01
Machine Learning
Deep neural architectures, reinforcement learning, and probabilistic models that learn from experience and generalise to unseen challenges.
↗02
Natural Language Processing
Semantics, syntax, and pragmatics at scale. From transformer models to multilingual understanding and Portuguese language AI.
↗03
Autonomous Agents
Multi-agent systems, rational decision-making under uncertainty, and AI that navigates complex dynamic environments.
↗04
Data Science
Knowledge discovery, pattern recognition, and predictive analytics transforming raw data into actionable scientific insight.
↗05
Robotics & Perception
Computer vision, sensor fusion, and embodied intelligence enabling machines to perceive, interpret, and act in physical space.
↗06
Intelligent Simulation
Agent-based modelling, complex systems simulation, and synthetic environments for scientific discovery.
↗07
High Performance Computing
Distributed AI training, GPU-accelerated algorithms, and scalable infrastructure for computationally intensive research.
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Research Impact
Numbers That
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Ongoing projects
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International partners
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Industry partnerships
AI Demonstration Center
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Research Team
The Minds
Behind the Machine
Senior researchers, postdocs and PhD students working at the edge of what AI can do.
PR
Prof. Paulo Rocha
Director · Machine Learning
FCUP · University of Porto
Full Professor and LIACC Director. 25+ years in statistical learning, Bayesian networks, and clinical AI. Coordinates major EU-funded initiatives.
Bayesian MLClinical AIDeep Learning
Selected Publications
Probabilistic Graphical Models for Clinical Risk Prediction
Scalable Bayesian Deep Learning in Healthcare
AL
Ana Lemos, PhD
Senior Researcher · NLP
FEUP · University of Porto
Specialist in NLP for Portuguese and multilingual AI. Led development of Portugal's first large-scale Portuguese language model for legal and administrative AI.
Portuguese NLPTransformersLegal AI
Selected Publications
PortugueseBERT: A Language Model for Portuguese Text
Cross-lingual Transfer for Low-Resource Legal Documents
JM
João Mendes, PhD
Researcher · Autonomous Agents
FCUP · University of Porto
Multi-agent coordination and emergent collective intelligence. Work applied to smart grid management and autonomous vehicle platoons.
Multi-AgentGame TheorySmart Grids
Selected Publications
Emergent Coordination in Decentralised Energy Markets
Nash Equilibria in Dynamic Multi-Agent Resource Allocation
CS
Carla Silva, PhD
Senior Researcher · Robotics
FEUP · University of Porto
Robotic perception and human-robot interaction. Led LIACC's RoboCup teams to multiple international titles. Current focus: assistive robotics and industrial inspection drones.
Robot VisionSLAMHRI
Selected Publications
Real-Time Semantic SLAM for Indoor Service Robots
Multimodal Affect Recognition for Human-Robot Interaction
RF
Rui Ferreira, PhD
Researcher · Data Science
FCUP · University of Porto
Knowledge discovery, anomaly detection, and predictive analytics for industrial applications. AI-driven maintenance and quality control in Portuguese manufacturing.
Anomaly DetectionIndustry 4.0Time Series
Selected Publications
Unsupervised Anomaly Detection for Predictive Maintenance
Temporal Pattern Mining in Industrial Sensor Data
MC
Maria Costa, PhD
Senior Researcher · HPC
FEUP · University of Porto
Distributed ML systems and large-scale model training. Leads LIACC's HPC infrastructure and coordinates with national supercomputing centres.
Distributed MLGPU ComputingLLM Training
Selected Publications
Communication-Efficient Distributed Deep Learning at Scale
Federated Learning with Heterogeneous GPU Clusters
Innovation Timeline
36 Years of
Scientific Pursuit
1988
Foundation of LIACC
Laboratory established at the University of Porto, pioneering AI research in Portugal with a founding team dedicated to logic programming and knowledge representation.
Milestone1995
First International Partnerships
Formalised research collaborations with European universities and participation in EU-funded projects, establishing LIACC in the international AI community.
Partnership2003
Robotics Research Initiative
Launch of autonomous systems and robotics programme. LIACC teams begin competing — and winning — in international RoboCup competitions.
Innovation2010
Machine Learning Expansion
Growth in deep learning and statistical ML as the field entered its modern renaissance. New labs, new PhD programmes, new industry connections.
Growth2018
30th Anniversary — 1000 Publications
Three decades of research surpassing one thousand peer-reviewed publications. FCT-classified Research Unit with Excellent rating.
Award2024
AI for Society Programmes
Applied AI for healthcare, smart cities, and sustainable industry. LIACC becomes a founding partner of national AI strategy coalitions.
ImpactFuture of AI
Where We Are
Headed
AI for Health
Diagnostic AI, drug discovery, patient outcome prediction and personalised medicine powered by machine learning.
Smart Cities
Urban mobility optimisation, energy grid intelligence, and citizen service automation.
Sustainable Industry
AI-driven resource optimisation, predictive maintenance, and industrial process intelligence.
Human-AI Collaboration
AI systems that augment human intelligence with intuitive interfaces and explainable decisions.
Responsible AI
Fairness, accountability, and transparency ensuring AI serves all of society with rigorous ethics.
Cognitive Architectures
AI that reasons and adapts like biological intelligence, bridging neuroscience and computer science.