Das PCCL in detail
Our success story
Since its foundation at the initiative of Montanuniversität Leoben, our center has been guided by the principle “From Research to Industry.” For more than two decades, we have combined scientific excellence with industrial application. Today, PCCL has developed into one of Europe’s leading polymer competence centers, holding COMET K1 status since 2010.
Governance & Structure
The Polymer Competence Center Leoben (PCCL) is organized as a non-profit limited liability company (GmbH) and is supported by its owners: Montanuniversität Leoben, Upper Austrian Research GmbH, Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, and Leoben Holding GmbH. In addition, the GmbH acts as the operating entity for the COMET-K1 Center “Centre for Circularity, Functionality, and Digitalization in Polymer Technologies.”
Infrastructure
On approximately 650 m² of laboratory and technical space, we cover the entire polymer process chain. Our infrastructure includes several chemical laboratories, a processing technical center with a focus on additive manufacturing (3D printing), as well as laboratories for physical-mechanical characterization, tribology and haptics, ageing and media resistance testing, optical analysis and surface inspection, and simulation. This setup is complemented by direct access to the laboratories of the Department of Polymer Engineering at the University of Leoben.
Our Success Story in Detail
Since our foundation in 2002, our research center has evolved into a recognized partner for applied polymer research. Our mission is to combine scientific excellence with tangible value for industry and society—following a consistent research-to-industry approach.
We conduct research along the entire value chain, from material development and processing to simulation, testing, and final application. This enables us to address complex challenges holistically and efficiently translate research results into industrial solutions.
Today, we stand for “Sustainable Polymer Technologies for Circularity.” We develop materials and technologies that enable circular economy solutions, improve resource efficiency, and support sustainable product life cycles.
With our focus on “Functional and Reliable Polymers,” we design materials and components that meet the highest functional requirements while ensuring long-term reliability underdemanding conditions.
In “Digital Solutions in Polymer Technology,” we leverage simulations, data-driven methods, and artificial intelligence to accelerate development processes and enhance the predictability and quality of products.
The impact of our work is reflected in measurable outcomes: more than 550 peer-reviewed publications and 138 completed doctoral theses demonstrate our scientific excellence. At the same time, 16 active patents and 4 newly launched startups demonstrate how consistently we translate research into practical applications and innovation.
Through close collaboration with partners from academia and industry, we ensure that innovations are not only developed but successfully implemented in practice. More than two decades of experience form the foundation for continuously advancing polymer technology in a sustainable, digital, and application-oriented way.
Research Along the Polymer Value Chain
Research with Industrial Impact
We are shaping the future of polymer-based materials – sustainable, digital, and application-driven. Our starting point is the development of new polymer materials that enable the transition towards a circular economy, resource efficiency, and reliable product solutions.
Our vision is not only to develop materials, but to actively understand and design their entire value chain – from molecular structure to performance in real-world applications. We combine experimental research, simulation, additive manufacturing, and artificial intelligence into an integrated innovation approach.
In this way, we create solutions for the key challenges of our time in mobility, energy, medical technology, and photovoltaics – with the goal of consistently translating scientific excellence into industrial innovation.
We see research as a bridge between idea and application – and as a driving force for a sustainable and high-performance materials future.
Our research benefits from a unique environment in the field of materials science centered around the University of Leoben. This environment is embedded in a dense ecosystem of university institutes, COMET centers, and other research institutions. In total, more than 500 researchers are active in materials and polymer science at the Leoben site—including staff from the university, its affiliated research institutions, and collaborating research companies. Together, we create an exceptional concentration of expertise across the entire innovation chain.
