From data silos to smart material decisions
AI-powered polymer analytics enables a deep-tech spin-off
Programm: COMET – Competence Centers for Excellent Technologies
Projekttyp: Mechanical recycling of thermoplastics supported by in-line quality monitoring, 2025-2028, multi-firm
AI-POWERED POLYMER ANALYTICS ENABLES A DEEP-TECH SPIN-OFF.
“For decades, companies have been generating valuable polymer data—but most of it remains unused beyond its original purpose. With PolyDecypher, we connect these data sources and turn them into actionable insights. This allows companies to make faster, more reliable decisions while reducing unnecessary testing and resource consumption”
— Mario Messiha, Founder (PolyDecypher)
“PolyDecypher is an excellent example of how deep materials expertise and modern data science can be combined to create real industrial value. It demonstrates how research results from the COMET environment can be translated into innovative solutions that address both economic and sustainability challenges in the polymer industry”
— Gernot Oreski, Key Researcher (PCCL)
Born out of the polymer research ecosystem in Leoben, PolyDecypher turns decades of existing material data into actionable insights using artificial intelligence. Building on hands-on research experience at the Polymer Competence Center Leoben, the company brings together polymer science and data science in a practical, industry-focused way. Its solution helps companies reduce testing effort, speed up material qualification, and improve sustainability—simply by making better use of the data they already have, without the need for additional measurement infrastructure.
From research challenge to industry solution
The foundation of PolyDecypher lies in years of research experience at PCCL. Founder Mario Messiha spent nearly a decade working on polymer materials and data evaluation, particularly in the context of fracture toughness assessment for new and recycled materials used in polymer pipes with required lifetimes of up to 100 years. Over time, a recurring challenge became increasingly clear: while the research continuously generates large volumes of material data, ranging from chemical and physical analysis to mechanical testing, these datasets remain fragmented and largely underutilized. At the same time, increasing economic pressure, and tighter R&D budgets intensified the need for more efficient workflows. Manual data evaluation was no longer scalable. To address this, advanced expertise in data science and machine learning was combined with deep domain knowledge in polymer engineering.
Unlocking the full value of polymer data through AI
The core innovation of PolyDecypher lies in integrating and contextualizing heterogeneous material data that are typically analyzed in isolation. Instead of treating datasets such as FTIR spectra, DSC curves, or mechanical test results separately, the platform connects chemical, thermal, mechanical, and process-related information into a unified view. This combined perspective makes it possible to uncover correlations that remain hidden in conventional analysis. By merging deep polymer expertise with advanced AI methods, PolyDecypher ensures that results are not only statistically robust but also physically meaningful and relevant for real-world applications.
Impact and effects
PolyDecypher increases efficiency in R&D and quality assurance by transforming existing data into actionable insights. The result is faster innovation cycles, reduced costs, and improved reliability of materials in critical applications.
Projektkoordination (Story)
DI Dr. Gernot Oreski
Key Researcher
T +43 664 8867 9331,
gernot.oreski@pccl.at
Projekt Partner
PolyDecypher FlexCo
Peter Tunner-Straße 19
8700 Leoben, Austria
+43 660 6286534,
office@polydecypher.at
Polymer Competence Center Leoben GmbH
Sauraugasse 1
A-8700 Leoben
T +43 3842 429 62-0
office@pccl.at
www.pccl.at
Download
Funding Body
This success story was approved for publication by the centre management and the project partners mentioned. This research project (funding number: 911658) was funded by COMET – Competence Centers for Excellent Technologies – through BMIMI (Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure), BMWET (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy and Tourism) and the co-financing federal provinces (Styria via SFG, Upper Austria, Vorarlberg), and carried out with the participation of scientific and industrial partners. The COMET Programme is mana ged by FFG. Further information on COMET: www.ffg.at/comet
