PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Mauro Birattari

Mauro Birattari is an AI researcher whose work applies optimization to algorithm configuration and robot-swarm design. He earned engineering and doctoral degrees in Italy and Belgium, and his racing-algorithm paper received a GECCO Impact Award in 2012. He led the ERC-funded DEMIURGE project and coauthored research on automatic swarm design in 2016, 2019, and 2024; a 2025 perspective explored barriers to real-world swarm robotics. As of October 2026, he is a research director for the Belgian FNRS at IRIDIA, Université libre de Bruxelles, and teaches ULB's Swarm Intelligence course.

Born
1969

Years link to their sources.

Timeline

  1. 1997–2004

    Engineering degrees in Milan and Brussels

    He earns a master's degree in electrical and electronic engineering from Politecnico di Milano in 1997 and a doctoral degree in information technologies from the Faculty of Engineering at Université libre de Bruxelles in 2004.

  2. 2012

    A GECCO Impact Award

    In 2012, he and Thomas Stuetzle, Luis Paquete, and Klaus Varrentrapp receive the Impact Award at GECCO for A Racing Algorithm for Configuring Metaheuristic.

  3. 2016

    Leading DEMIURGE

    In 2016, he leads DEMIURGE, an ERC Consolidator Grant project at IRIDIA that aims to automate the design of robot swarms.

  4. 2016

    A robot-swarm design review

    In 2016, he coauthors Automatic Design of Robot Swarms: Achievements and Challenges with Gianpiero Francesca. The review examines optimization methods for designing swarm control software and calls for stronger empirical assessment.

  5. 2019

    A robot-swarm design manifesto

    In 2019, he coauthors Automatic Off-Line Design of Robot Swarms: A Manifesto. The paper defines the off-line design problem, outlines a practical realization, and sets out research questions and guidelines.

  6. 2024

    Habanero designs swarm behavior

    In 2024, he coauthors Habanero, an automatic method that uses simulated optimization to design stigmergy-based behavior for robot swarms. The robot groups lay and sense artificial pheromones, producing collective spatial organization, memory, and communication.

  7. 2025

    Towards applied swarm robotics

    In 2025, he coauthors Towards applied swarm robotics: current limitations and enablers with Miquel Kegeleirs. The perspective identifies a lack of affordable, modern, robust platforms as a barrier to real-world use.

  8. As of October 2026

    Research Director at IRIDIA

    As of October 2026, he is a research director for the Belgian F.R.S.-FNRS at IRIDIA, Université libre de Bruxelles. He teaches ULB's Swarm Intelligence course in the 2026–2027 academic year.

Career

  1. Since 2026Free University of BrusselsResearch Director
  2. NowNational Fund for Scientific ResearchResearch Director

Education

  1. 2004Free University of BrusselsDoctoral degree in Information Technologies
  2. 1997Polytechnic University of MilanMaster's degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering

From the biography.

  1. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes Free University of Brussels. We estimate where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads with 467 former students, including 291 recorded doctorates.
  2. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes Free University of Brussels. We estimate where the people shaping AI worked when their most-cited papers appeared: the company share was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974, and Google led all organizations in 2020–2024.
  3. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes Free University of Brussels. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and 5+ year employment links, career timing and current workplaces for 187 major-prize and 1,111 best-paper winners.
  4. 11% of AI doctorate holders from 2010 to 2016 founded or led a company or lab by 10 years after graduationIncludes Polytechnic University of Milan. We estimate how often AI doctorate holders founded or led a company or lab by 10 years after graduation, how waiting times compare between founders and top jobs, and which universities trained the most.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Mauro Birattari yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Neuro-evolution of robot swarms iridia.ulb.ac.be. Checked 21 October 2026.
  2. GECCO 2012 sigevo.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  3. ERC research project DEMIURGE - Mauro Birattari ulb.be. Checked 21 October 2026.
  4. Automatic Design of Robot Swarms: Achievements and Challenges frontiersin.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  5. Automatic Off-Line Design of Robot Swarms: A Manifesto frontiersin.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  6. Automatic design of stigmergy-based behaviours for robot swarms nature.com. Checked 21 October 2026.
  7. Towards applied swarm robotics: current limitations and enablers frontiersin.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  8. Swarm Intelligence - ULB ulb.be. Checked 21 October 2026.