The Center for Language and Speech Technologies and Applications (TALP) is a specific interdepartmental research center at the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC).
The technological scope of the TALP Center is the automatic processing of both written and spoken natural language. Its aim is to help overcome language barriers and to improve access to information systems.
The TALP Center belongs to the ELSNET (European Network of Excellence in Human Language Technologies) network. Its two research groups are consolidated members of the CREL (Language Engineering Reference Center of the Generalitat of Catalonia).
As an R&D center, the TALP is actively involved in various basic and applied research projects, both in Spain and in Europe. The Center promotes the transfer of its knowledge, experience and technology, particularly through its cooperation with public institutions and companies in applied research and development projects.
The TALP Center was founded in 1998 as a result of the merger of two research groups at the UPC, which had over 15 years of experience in language technologies. These groups are:
The Natural Language Processing Group (GPLN)
The Speech Processing Group (VEU)
It currently employs around 40 researchers and 20 Phd Students, most of whom are lecturers on the UPC’s telecommunications and computer science courses.