To foster innovation by considering that sensorial information is increasing its importance in both our daily life and the most advanced technological and scientific contexts.
To boost the understanding of visual and audio information which is becoming the most significant part of the global data to be processed, understood and manipulated.

To increase knowledge in the fields of signal processing, image understanding and artificial vision, in both theoretical and applicative contexts.
To study and develop models, computer-based methods and machines for the formation, elaboration, analysis and recognition of images and signals, and to apply these methods and techniques to several sectors of the public and private society having strategic, scientific and technological interests.

To pursue front-line, reality-driven basic and applied research in emerging fields of computer vision and signal analysis relevant to the actual and future needs of the Internet society and industry.
To improve the research quality in relevant areas of signals and images in order to continue participating in high-level research partnerships and attracting Industrial, Regional, National and European funding.
To make high-level education and training for university students and doctoral schools.
To transfer innovative knowledge and technology to the various facets of the society.

In September 2000, the Institute of Information Processing (IEI-CNR) and the CNUCE Institute (CNUCE-CNR) of the Italian National Research Council in Pisa merged to form the Institute of Information Science and Technologies (ISTI-CNR).
Following this fusion, the former internal bodies of the two institutes were reorganized to give rise the present scientific structure of ISTI.

In particular, the beginnings of IEI-CNR can be traced back to 1954 when Pisa University, on the advice of the Nobel laureate Enrico Fermi and financially backed by the provinces of Pisa, Lucca and Livorno decided to design and construct a computer intended entirely for scientific use, the first in Italy. The Center for Studies on Electronic Computing (CSCE) was thus founded, and in 1961 the Pisan Electronic Computer - CEP - was inaugurated.
In 1962 the CSCE became part of the CNR, and in 1968 was renamed Istituto di Elaborazione dell'Informazione (IEI).

By statute, IEI-CNR was organized into five research Departments (Languages and Operating Systems, Architecture of Computer Systems, Techniques for Information Processing, Computational Mathematics and Computer Graphics, Signals and Images Processing) and some supporting technological Services, among which the Image Processing Service.

At the time of ISTI-CNR establishment it was then constituted the Signals and Images Laboratory (SI-Lab), as a result of the unification of the whole Department of Signals and Images Processing and the Image Processing Service. Soon after, the SI-Lab incorporated two other research groups of CNUCE-CNR, the Computer Art and the Creative Virtual Systems groups.