On December 2005, CajAstur, the Ministry of Industry of Spain and the Principality of Asturias promoted the Foundation for the Advancement of Soft Computing in Mieres, Asturias (Spain). This private non-profit institution is guided and supervised by a Board of Trustees comprising representatives from the supporting entities, from local trade unions and from the University of Oviedo. The Foundation materializes the idea of Professors Lofti Zadeh, the father of Fuzzy Logic, and Enric Trillas, a renowned researcher in this field, to launch a scientific research centre on Soft Computing with the purpose of becoming a world-class institution. The European Centre for Soft Computing is the research and development structure of the Foundation and its activities are guided by a Scientific Committee of distinguished international researchers.

The motivation for creating the ECSC is based on the vision of Soft Computing research as a high potential tool for innovation and economic development.

This vision is developed in a mission that involves three basic elements:

• To carry out first level research on the fundamentals and applications of Soft Computing aiming to reach a leading scientific position in Europe.
• To become a meeting place for worldwide experts in Soft Computing and to offer the best training and development opportunities for young researchers.
• To promote technology transfer and innovation based on the research activities of the Centre.

Furthermore, the mission can be summarized into four strategic lines that guide the activity of the centre:

• Contribute to scientific advancement.
• Improve business competitivity.
• Enhance the technological image of Asturias
• Disseminate science and new technologies to society.

In the context of these strategic lines, the main objectives of the ECSC are focused on the generation of new scientific knowledge and on the application of information technologies. These objectives include both theoretical approaches and the application of soft computing to solve real-world problems of industry, economy and society. The Centre interacts with its stakeholders by cooperating with universities, research organizations and companies in R&D activities, providing specialized training and the social dissemination of research results.