The research in linear control theory has a long tradition in the Institute. During the 1960s researchers of the Institute made considerable developments in both transfer-function and state-space methods. During the 1970s and the 1980s, the members of the Department achieved significant results, which launched an entirely new area of research worldwide. Among these are the parametrization of all controllers stabilizing a given plant (known as the Youla-Kučera parametrization) and the design of control systems via polynomial equations. Starting the 1990s, the research activities of the department ranged from robust control to nonlinear systems.

In the present time, Department of control theory focuses on nonlinear systems, including chaotic systems and general systems theory. Theoretical results are then successfully applied to specific practical areas like modelling and control of biological and biotechnological systems, modelling and control of mechanical systems, including robotic walking analysis and design. Further topics are related to multi-agent systems, large-scale systems, nonlinear systems interconnected in complex networks and control of distributed parameter systems based on multivariate polynomials.