As one of the key institutes for the academic degree programs Sustainable Polymer Engineering & Circular Economy (BSc), Polymer Engineering and Science (PES) (DI/MSc), Sustainability and Plastics Management (SPM) (DI/MSc) and Engineering Sciences - Polymer Technology (Dr.techn./PhD) at the Johannes Kepler University Linz since 2009, the institute's responsibilities in teaching and research cover the fields of physics, material sciences, testing, and the applications of polymeric materials.

The institute's research profile is directed toward contributing to a number of key technologies associated with the concept of Sustainable Development. The institute's research activities focus on developing polymeric materials and utilizing polymer technologies, particularly in the following fields:

• water supply & disposal, water management (fresh/potable water, sanitation, industry, agriculture, etc.)
• renewable energy technologies (solar, wind, water)
• light-weight material solutions for electric vehicles
• plastics in a sustainable, circular economy

Issues related to generally improving energy and material efficiency through polymer applications - including aspects of performance oriented life-cycle analysis as well as aspects related to a future regenerative raw material resource base for plastics (i. e. beyond fossil fuels) - are treated as cross-sectoral topics.

Moreover, the institute's key fields of research and close collaboration with other research and industrial partners means we initiate and coordinate large, multi-partner collaborative research programs.