Being one of the key institutes of the academic study programs Polymer Engineering and Technologies (BSc), Polymer Technologies and Science (DI/MSc), Management in Polymer Technologies (DI/MSc) and Polymer Engineering (Dr.techn./PhD) at the Johannes Kepler University Linz since 2009, the Institute's teaching and research responsibility is to cover the fields of physics, material science, testing and applications of polymeric materials.

The research profile of the Institute is directed towards a contribution to some of the key technologies associated with the concept of Sustainable Development. It comprises research activities on the development of polymeric materials and the utilization of polymer technologies especially 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 general improvements in the energy and material efficiency by 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, in its key fields of research and in close collaboration with other research and industrial partners, the Institute acts as initiator and coordinator of large multi-partner cooperative research programs.