Istat is a research institute aimed at producing and analysing data, as stated by the recent Legislative Decree 218/2016 regulating the activity of Public Research Institutes.
Research is a key component of the strategy to fully exploit the information potential of statistical production and it deals with the development of new techniques and methodologies, the implementation of thematic research projects, the integration of new sources to produce and disseminate official statistics.
Furthermore, the increased availability of data and microdata released by Istat is an important driver to strengthen research activity.
The relevance of research at Istat is acknowledged by the three-year strategic planning where a specific in-depth analysis on the methodological and thematic research development takes place.
Istat is fully integrated into the National Research System and takes advantage from both the partnerships with institutions of the Italian or international scientific community and the exchange of resources with other National Statistical Institutes (NSIs).