Priv.-Doz. Dr. Florian Arbeiter researches the behavior of polymers under extreme, dynamic loads at the Chair of Materials Science and Testing of Polymers. His area of expertise includes fracture mechanics as well as high-precision impact and high-speed testing. Furthermore, he is dedicated to material development for modern polymeric pipe systems (pipe grade materials) and complex, multilayer composite structures. Through his profound experimental investigations into toughness and impact resistance, he helps industry to significantly increase the resilience of high-tech polymers. His findings thus guarantee maximum material stability and safety in pipelines and safety-critical multilayer systems. >more<

Ass.-Prof. Dipl.-Chem. Dr.rer.nat. Nicolai Aust focuses on the detailed molecular characterization and analysis of polymeric materials. Using state-of-the-art spectroscopic methods, such as ATR-FT-IR and UV-VIS spectroscopy, he deciphers the complex chemical structures and reaction kinetics of polymers. Another central focus of his work lies in the field of material safety and flame retardancy (Safety and Fire Prevention). Through these precise analytical insights, his team creates an essential foundation for significantly improving the thermal stability, safety, and performance of modern polymer systems for the most demanding technological applications. >more<

Dr. Christine Bandl researches pioneering and sustainable polymer applications. An outstanding flagship project of her work is the large-scale EU project "VanillaFlow". In this context, she is developing revolutionary, environmentally friendly redox flow batteries in which renewable raw materials, specifically the flavoring vanillin, are used as sustainable energy storage. In addition to these innovative, green battery technologies, her focus lies on targeted surface modification and the development of innovative polymer-based coatings. With this combination of materials science and sustainability, she creates essential foundations for resource-efficient energy storage systems of the future. >more<

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Clemens Holzer heads the Chair of Polymer Processing and is considered a driving force in Austrian polymer research. His focus lies on the systematic control and economic optimization of resource-efficient production processes. Under his leadership, pioneering technologies in injection molding, extrusion, and additive manufacturing are being developed using the institute's modern facilities. He pays particular attention to a sustainable circular economy and the use of bio-based plastics. With his profound understanding of the interaction between material and process, recently recognized with the prestigious H.F. Mark Medal, he creates essential foundations for an efficient and ecological plastics industry. >more<

Assoz.Prof. Dr. Thomas Lucyshyn heads the Injection Molding & Recycling research group at the Chair of Polymer Processing. His research focus is the sustainable circular economy of thermoplastics. He develops advanced methods for mechanical plastics recycling and intelligent compounding to regenerate fully-fledged, high-performance secondary raw materials from plastic waste. By combining targeted material development with state-of-the-art injection molding simulation, he maximizes process efficiency and component quality. With his well-founded, practical concepts for improving the properties of recyclates, he provides crucial impulses for resource-efficient and competitive polymer processing. >more<

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Gerald Pinter heads the Chair of Materials Science and Testing of Polymers as well as the "RELIABLE" research group. His work focuses on the physical and mechanical reliability of modern polymer materials. At the center of his expertise are high-precision polymer and fracture mechanics, advanced fatigue testing, and detailed lifetime predictions. Through a profound understanding of the long-term behavior of structural plastics under real-world loads, his team creates the crucial foundation for extremely durable and safe components. Thus, he provides essential knowledge for highly stressed industrial applications where material failures are absolutely not an option. >more<

Ass.Prof. Dr. Gisbert Rieß is dedicated to the structural material development and optimization of innovative polymer materials. His core competencies include the research of high-performance polymer foams as well as the development of advanced flame-retardant polymers. Furthermore, he works intensively with polymer nanocomposites to endow plastics with entirely new and tailor-made properties using nanoscale fillers. Through these profound developments and his expertise in polymer analysis, he sustainably drives forward the versatility and safety of modern polymer compounds in industry. >more<

Under the expertise of Dr. Martin Pletz, the Department of Polymer Engineering and Science takes a close look at the areas where there is often a lack of time in daily industrial operations. The focus is on the targeted development, adaptation, and cross-industry use of innovative testing and calculation methods, ranging from advanced experiments and complex data evaluation (data science) to high-precision simulations. Since basic physical principles apply universally, the team intelligently transfers clever solutions between entirely different fields of application. Whether it is nanoindentation for quality control, crack propagation models, or the analysis of damping elements in railway superstructures: this interdisciplinary "thinking outside the box" results in highly efficient, tailor-made methods that open up completely new technological perspectives for the industry. >more<

Priv.-Doz. Dr. Sandra Schlögl, Scientific Director of the Polymer Competence Center Leoben (PCCL), is dedicated to the development of highly adaptable polymer systems. At the center of her work are dynamic polymer networks and "stimuli-responsive polymers" that react specifically to external stimuli such as light or temperature. Another focus is complex photopolymerization. Her team utilizes these light-controlled reactions to design tailor-made resins for advanced 3D printing as well as for structured, functional surfaces. Through this profound understanding of light-reactive and switchable materials, she drives the evolution of adaptive polymer systems forward in a practical manner. Her research thus directly opens up new technological pathways for additive manufacturing, microsystems engineering, and flexible electronics. >more<

Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.mont. Steffen Stelzer heads the Chair of Processing of Composites and Design for Recycling. His vision is to conserve valuable resources and drive forward the sustainable circular economy through pioneering lightweight solutions made of polymer-based fiber composites. At the center of his applied research are holistic process development, automation, and simulation. His team profoundly analyzes the complex interaction between the processing method, material structure, and the resulting component properties. Through the clever combination of phenomenological processing models with state-of-the-art plant control, he enables the resource-efficient, fully automated, and economical manufacturing of high-quality composite components. In doing so, he creates essential technological foundations for sustainable component design in industry. >more<