Partner & Networks
The research, production and training landscape in plastics technology is as diverse as the material itself. In order to be present at the forefront of the professional world, it is important for the Department of Plastics Technology to enter into partnerships at national and international level. The starting point for these cooperations is the department itself - the accommodation of the six plastics technology chairs in a modern building with excellent infrastructure and equipment and short communication paths promote synergetic and operational progress.
Cooperation with scientific partner institutes at home and abroad is another supporting pillar of the department's activities. Numerous funding programmes in the area of basic and applied research are based on cooperation models, with European research initiatives (e.g. Horizon 2020) and transnational funding models such as ERA-NET and Core-Net as examples. Nevertheless, cooperation with university partners (e.g. institutes of Graz University of Technology and Vienna University of Technology) and non-university research institutions (e.g. PCCL, Joanneum Research, AIT, ofi) enjoys a high priority.
Polymer Competence Center Leoben
One of the department's most important non-university cooperation partners is the Polymer Competence Center Leoben GmbH (PCCL).
As a pre-competitive, industry-oriented research company, the PCCL aims to continuously develop and implement scientific findings in the field of plastics technology and polymer sciences. Through research projects together with partners from science and industry, the research competence and competitiveness of the participating partner companies can be increased and the transfer of knowledge to industry in general can be enhanced.
Competence Composite Plastic Component
The development of plastic components requires extensive know-how about the material, its processing and application as well as recycling. Due to this extensive task, the problem arises that this know-how can usually only be found in different institutions.
The Kompetenzverbund KunststoffbauteilLeoben (KVKL) is a platform that bundles the extensive competence of the University of Leoben and offers uncomplicated access to research and development of plastic components. Within this framework, special events are also held that shed light on topics related to plastic components in detail.
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Board of Trustees for Plastics Technology
The Board of Trustees for Plastics Technology Leoben was founded in 1989 to support plastics technology in Leoben during a turbulent period of development characterised by the vacancy of all three plastics institutes and corresponding institutes. The areas of responsibility of the Board of Trustees included spatial expansion, development of concepts for research and teaching, recruitment of first-year students, career opportunities for graduates, reform of the degree programme, identification of thematic and economic trends in the plastics industry.
The board of trustees consists of leading personalities from the Austrian plastics industry.
Association of Leoben Plastics Engineers VLK
The Association of Leoben Plastics Engineers is the students' and graduates' association of the field of study "Plastics Engineering" at the University of Leoben. The association supports and promotes students and graduates.
In order to maintain the network of graduates, the VLK organises meetings and events. Once a quarter, a newsletter with information and news from Leoben is sent to the members. For the students, VLK-Students Team offers a wide range of activities: Lectures from business and science, social events to script collections.
We are also a member of the following networks
Composites United e. V.
Composites United e. V. is an international network for multi-material lightweight construction with high-performance fibre composites and hybrid materials. CU has about 400 members - companies as well as research institutions and institutional members.
ESIS (Europäische Gesellschaft für Bautechnische Integrität) TC04 POLYMERE, POLYMERE KOMPOSITEN UND ADHESIVSTOFFE
The aim of ESIS (European Structural Integrity Society) is to develop and expand knowledge in all areas of structural integrity and to disseminate this knowledge worldwide with the aim of improving the safety and performance of technical plants, individual components and structures.
Scientific Working Group of University Professors of Plastics Engineering WAK
The WAK is the association of university professors of plastics engineering. The purpose of the working group is the scientific and professional promotion of plastics technology.