The mission of ISTC is so defined by its deed of partnership:

The Institute is involved in research, enhancement, technological transfer and training activities in the following scientific areas and as far as the following themes are concerned:

• Cognitive, communicative and linguistic processes: acquisition, elaboration, deficit, multimodality, communication technologies.
• Theory, analysis and technology of spoken language and of linguistic variability. Cognitive development, learning and socialization in children and non-human primates.
• Artificial intelligence, artificial life, artificial societies.
• Cognitive technologies, neural networks, autonomous robotics.
• Social cognition: behaviour, motivations, cultural transmission and cultural processes.
• Decision-making and cooperation technologies.
• Environmental quality, health and society: prevention, education, integration, handicap, technological planning.