About the Institute for Plastics Processing

IKV - Solutions for future technologies in the plastics industry

IKV headquarters at Campus Melaten
Since 2016, the Institute's headquarters have been located at Campus Melaten in Aachen | photo: Klass

The IKV – Institute for Plastics Processing is Europe's leading research institute in the field of plastics technology. Following a holistic approach IKV develops solutions for future-oriented technologies in plastics processing. Today, 300 people are employed at IKV, including 80 scientists, 50 administration staff, and 180 student assistants in research and development. Their goal is to provide industry with problem solutions for their day-to-day operations.

The main tasks of the Institute are

  • scientific and practice-oriented research in the field of plastics technology
  • training of students at RWTH Aachen University
  • technology transfer of research results to industry

Professor Christian Hopmann has been head of the Institute and Managing Director of the IKV Sponsors' Association since 2011. He also holds the Chair of Plastics Processing at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.

Explore Smarty