The Institute of Technology and Research was founded in 1983 and is one of the largest and most well- organized research centers in the country, with international recognition and highly skilled staff. It is supervised by the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation of the Ministry of Development and Investment. It is based in Heraklion and consists of 8 Research Institutes. The Institute of Informatics conducts basic and applied research and plays a leading role in the development of the Information Society at national and international level. Its main features are its research excellence, interdisciplinary approach and the constant effort to transfer research results and technologies that it develops in industry and society.