Over the past several years, the Thuringian Institute of Textile and Plastics Research has utilized its textile expertise to become a modern institute for materials research, whereby TITK's R&D activities are founded primarily on work with natural and synthetic polymers.

The institute's key research areas include:

• Synthesis of polymers and additives
• Characterisation, forming and functionalisation of polysaccharides, particularly cellulose and proteins
• Technical textiles
• Fibre-reinforced composites
• Polymer nanocomposites
• Polymer electronics,
• Polymer photovoltaic,
• Roll to roll coating,
• Photochromic, thermochromic, electrochromic and solvatochromic materials

Structural Polymers
Characterisation of native polymers and polymer solutions
Development of alternative technologies for shaping natural polymers, preferably cellulose
Production of polysaccharide derivatives, functional moulded cellulose bodies and protein derivatives

Composites
Development of fibre-reinforced composites and technologies for their production (conventional and natural fibres)
Nonwoven fabrics, long fibre-reinforced granulates, honeycomb composites, single polymer composites; recycling of long fibre from aramid and carbon fabrics

Functional Polymers
Development of functional materials with special electronic properties
Development of micro processing techniques for polymers
Modification of synthetic polymers

Polymer Compounds and their processing
Nanocomposites
Fibre-reinforced polymers
Conductive polymers
Polymers for EMI shielding
Polymer condensation

Polymer nanotechnology
Production of additives; processing and characterisation