Competence Center CHASE
Competence Center CHASE GmbH is an Austrian COMET-funded research organization that applies hybrid modeling, Digital Twins and process intensification to help chemical-process-industry enterprises improve energy efficiency, circularity and sustainability.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersLinz, Austria
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Competence Center CHASE does
Competence Center CHASE GmbH is an Austrian private research-and-technology organization headquartered in Linz (with a Vienna site) that delivers application-oriented research in Chemical Systems Engineering to the European process industry. Founded in October 2019 under the COMET Competence Centers for Excellent Technologies program, it is governed by four equal 25% shareholders — Johannes Kepler University Linz, TU Wien, Upper Austrian Research GmbH, and the Association of the CHASE Company Partners — and is funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Innovation and Technology (BMIMI), the Federal Ministry for Economy, Energy and Tourism (BMWET), the states of Vienna and Upper Austria, and the FFG-managed COMET framework, supplemented by NON-K projects (e.g., BIOCYCLE-UA with EFRE co-funding). Its research is organized across three areas: Process Digitalization (hybrid modeling and Digital Twins of manufacturing and value chains using OpenFOAM-based physics simulation combined with data-driven regression), Process Intensification (measurement, control and prediction of process parameters, including LDPE reactor control and biopharmaceutical holistic DoE), and Circular Processing (transformation of linear processes into circular operations, e.g., solvent-based HDPE recycling, PHB hydrolysis, and chemical recovery monitoring via Raman spectroscopy at Sappi Europe).
The company serves enterprise customers across at least nine industrial verticals — including OMV, Borealis, Covestro, EREMA, ENGEL, FACC, Victrex, Festo, Sappi, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Heraeus, Agrana, ALPLA Recycling, Bilfinger, Endress+Hauser and Greiner — through collaborative research partnerships rather than licensed software or traditional product sales. Its go-to-market combines a sales-led partnership motion with community-led dissemination via the annual CHASE Xpert Days conference series, CHASE Academy lectures, peer-reviewed publications and the CHASE Industry Award. With approximately 50 highly educated employees (41% female), leadership comprising Managing Director Patrick Pammer and Scientific Director Prof. Christian Paulik, and ongoing infrastructure expansion (Technikum II groundbreaking at JKU Linz in 2025, JEC World Innovation Award 2025), CHASE operates as a publicly funded applied-research platform whose revenue mechanics are grant-driven research services and partner co-funded projects rather than commercial product revenue.
Competence Center CHASE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Competence Center CHASE
- Legal name
- Competence Center CHASE GmbH
- Website
- https://chasecenter.at
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Competence Center CHASE GmbH is an Austrian COMET-funded research organization that applies hybrid modeling, Digital Twins and process intensification to help chemical-process-industry enterprises improve energy efficiency, circularity and sustainability.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Competence Center CHASE industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Research and Technology Services
- NAICS
- Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513)
- SIC
- General Industrial Machinery & Equipment, Nec (3569)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Process & Batch Control Software (Recipe Management, ISA-88) (IMAGABAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Control System Integration & Engineering Services (Design, Commissioning, Retrofits) (IMAGABAK), GMP Scale-Up, Tech Transfer & Process Validation (PPQ) (HLAGAHAL)
Keywords
Where Competence Center CHASE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Linz
- HQ country
- Austria
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Competence Center CHASE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- COMET Competence Center Funding: Funded through the COMET Competence Centers for Excellent Technologies Program, managed by FFG (Austrian Research Promotion Agency), with funding from BMIMI, BMWET, Federal States Vienna and Upper Austria and its scientific partners.
- Industrial Research Partnerships: Application-oriented research conducted in partnership with industrial companies in the process industry, supporting companies in chemistry, petrochemistry, gas, pharmaceuticals, plastic and pulp manufacturing.
- NON-K Projects: Additional research projects supported by government funding, such as BIOCYCLE-UA supported by Upper Austrian government and European Regional Development Fund (EFRE).
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Competence Center CHASE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Competence Center CHASE GmbH is a European Research and Technology Organisation for Chemical Systems Engineering that delivers application-oriented research services to companies in the chemical process industry. Its work is organized into three core research areas: Process Digitalization (hybrid modeling and Digital Twins of manufacturing and value chains), Process Intensification (new processes to increase utilization efficiency and process stability), and Circular Processing (transformation of linear processes into circular operations for sustainable production).
Product overview
Competence Center CHASE operates as a European Research and Technology Organisation for Chemical Systems Engineering offering application-oriented research services organized across three core research areas: Process Digitalization (Area 1) using hybrid modeling and Digital Twins; Process Intensification (Area 2) for process development; and Circular Processing (Area 3) for circular economy transitions. Supporting services include CHASE Academy (internal lecture series), CHASE Xpert Days (annual conferences 2021-2026), the CHASE Industry Award (diploma thesis award of 2,500 EUR), Success Stories showcasing COMET project results, and peer-reviewed Publications. The organization focuses on enabling chemical process industry companies to improve energy efficiency, resource savings, and sustainability through digitalization.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Process Digitalization Research (Area 1)
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 81% reduction in overall contamination through optimized solvent-based recycling of HDPE
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Competence Center CHASE
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Competence Center CHASE technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature5 records
Competence Center CHASE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
27 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Agrana Research & Innovation CentercoreCompany partner collaborating on process intensification research, including sustainable food production projects. CHASE supports companies in making production more energy-efficient and sustainable.
- ALPLA RecyclingcorePlastic recycling company partner working on circular economy solutions and plastic recycling technologies.
- BilfingercoreEngineering and maintenance partner in process industry collaboration.
- BorealiscoreChemical company partner engaged in sustainable polyolefin solutions research.
- CovestrocoreMaterials manufacturer partner collaborating on thermoplastic composites research including consolidation process modeling.
- Endress+HausercoreInstrumentation partner providing measurement and control solutions for process monitoring research.
- ENGEL AustriacoreInjection molding machine manufacturer partner collaborating on foam injection molding, thermoplastic composites, and inline color measurement projects.
- EREMAcorePlastic recycling equipment manufacturer partner working on devolatilization process modeling for polymer recycling.
- FACCcoreAerospace company partner collaborating on thermoplastic composite aircraft components including aircraft guide vane research demonstrator.
- FestocoreAutomation company partner collaborating on digital twin for industrial bioprocesses and bioprocess optimization.
- HeraeuscorePrecious metals and technology company partner in process industry research.
- GreinercorePlastic and foam products company partner in research collaboration.
- OMVcoreOil and gas company partner collaborating on CO2 hydrogenation to methanol and circular economy research.
- SappicorePulp and paper company partner collaborating on chemical recovery monitoring using Raman spectroscopy at Sappi Europe Gratkorn mill.
- Thermo Fisher ScientificcorePharmaceutical services company partner involved in process intensification research for flexible production of fine chemicals.
- Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU)core25% shareholder and primary scientific partner. Co-developing research projects in polymer engineering, extrusion, compounding, and process digitalization. Home to LIT Factory and multiple joint research initiatives.
- Technische Universität Wien (TU Wien)core25% shareholder and scientific partner. Collaborating on chemical technologies, analytics, process engineering, and biopharmaceutical research.
- Upper Austrian Research GmbHcore25% shareholder providing research coordination and support for Upper Austrian innovation ecosystem.
- FH OberösterreichcoreUniversity of Applied Sciences Upper Austria - scientific partner in research collaboration.
- RECENDT GmbHcoreResearch Center for Non-Destructive Testing - scientific partner collaborating on PAT technologies and spectroscopy solutions.
- SCCH (Software Competence Center Hagenberg)coreScientific partner providing software and simulation expertise for hybrid modeling approaches.
- TCKTcoreTransfercenter for Circular Economy research partner in sustainable conversion processes.
- Wood K PluscoreCompetence Center for wood-based bioeconomy - scientific partner in circular economy and bio-based materials research.
- Verein der Partnerfirmen des Competence Center CHASEcoreAssociation of company partners holding 25% share, providing governance and industry network connections for CHASE.
- SusChem-ATminorSustainable Chemistry Austria - collaborative partner for Sustainability Day at CHASE Xpert Days 2024.
- EIT ManufacturingminorEuropean Institute of Innovation and Technology Manufacturing - co-organizer of Technology Day at CHASE Xpert Days 2024.
- BNN (Bionanonetwork)coreCo-hosted BNN Annual Forum 2025 at JKU Linz along with CHASE, RECENDT GmbH and Wood K plus for Circular Economy conference.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Competence Center CHASE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- DECHEMA (Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology): DECHEMA is a German non-profit network that runs applied research activities, conferences and industry-academic programs in chemical engineering, including process intensification and sustainability — closely aligned with CHASE's mission as a chemical-engineering-focused platform.
- Fraunhofer Society (Institut für Chemische Technologie ICT / Fraunhofer UMSICHT): Fraunhofer is Europe's largest applied research organization with institutes focused on process engineering, polymer technologies and circular economy. It is the closest structural analogue to CHASE: publicly funded, partnered with German industry, and organized around industry-relevant applied research areas — directly comparable on mission, funding model and partner ecosystem.
- TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research): TNO is a publicly funded Dutch applied research organization operating units that perform industrial process and circular-economy research for corporate partners. Like CHASE, it is a hybrid public/private RTO that bridges universities and process-industry customers across Europe.
- RISE Research Institutes of Sweden: RISE is Sweden's state-owned research institute group, organized into cross-sector applied units including process and materials work. It mirrors CHASE on the public-private research centre model and serves Nordic chemical/process industry customers.
- SINTEF (Norway): SINTEF is one of Europe's largest independent research organizations with strong process and polymer engineering capabilities serving oil & gas, chemicals and aquaculture. Like CHASE, it combines academic-quality science with industrial partnership revenue and a hybrid public/private governance model.
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: VTT is Finland's government-owned applied research centre with deep activity in process industries, bioprocess and circular economy work. It is structurally comparable to CHASE on funding mix (state + industry), partnership model, and emphasis on applied process engineering for Nordic/EU chemical customers.
Broad incumbents
- AVEVA: AVEVA provides industrial software (process simulation, plant design, digital twin) that overlaps with CHASE's process digitalization work, particularly for chemical and process customers. It is a broad, commercial incumbent rather than an RTO peer.
- Aspen Technology (AspenTech): AspenTech is the dominant commercial vendor of process simulation and digital twin software for the chemical, petrochemical and pharma industries (Aspen Plus/HYSYS/Polymer Plus). It competes with CHASE's hybrid-modeling Digital Twin work by selling scaled, licensable software to many of the same customer types, but is a commercial incumbent rather than an applied research partner.
- Siemens Digital Industries (Process Automation): Siemens' Process Automation business sells DCS, process control and digital-twin offerings (SIMATIC, XHQ) targeted at chemical, pharma and pulp & paper customers — many of the same verticals CHASE serves. It is a broad incumbent, not a focused chemical-process RTO.
Others
- Johannes Kepler University Linz (Institute of Polymer Processing / LIT Factory): JKU Linz is a 25% CHASE shareholder and its primary scientific partner, providing academic depth and the LIT Factory pilot lines that CHASE's researchers draw on. It is not a commercial peer but the most tightly integrated counterparty in CHASE's operating model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Competence Center CHASE social profiles
Digital presenceCompetence Center CHASE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Competence Center CHASE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Competence Center CHASE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Competence Center CHASE M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Competence Center CHASE
What does Competence Center CHASE do?
Competence Center CHASE GmbH is a European Research and Technology Organisation for Chemical Systems Engineering that delivers application-oriented research services to companies in the chemical process industry. Its work is organized into three core research areas: Process Digitalization (hybrid modeling and Digital Twins of manufacturing and value chains), Process Intensification (new processes to increase utilization efficiency and process stability), and Circular Processing (transformation of linear processes into circular operations for sustainable production).
Is Competence Center CHASE a public or private company?
Competence Center CHASE is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Competence Center CHASE founded?
Competence Center CHASE was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Competence Center CHASE based?
Competence Center CHASE is headquartered in Linz, Austria, in the Europe region.
How does Competence Center CHASE make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. COMET Competence Center Funding is the primary driver. The others are industrial Research Partnerships and NON-K Projects.
Who are Competence Center CHASE's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are DECHEMA (Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology), Fraunhofer Society (Institut für Chemische Technologie ICT / Fraunhofer UMSICHT), TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research), RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, SINTEF (Norway) and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Broad incumbents are AVEVA, Aspen Technology (AspenTech) and Siemens Digital Industries (Process Automation). Johannes Kepler University Linz (Institute of Polymer Processing / LIT Factory) is listed as an others.
Does Competence Center CHASE have an API?
No public API is recorded for Competence Center CHASE.
What industry is Competence Center CHASE in?
Competence Center CHASE's product category is Industrial Research and Technology Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGABAH, Process & Batch Control Software (Recipe Management, ISA-88), with a secondary code of IMAGABAK, Control System Integration & Engineering Services (Design, Commissioning, Retrofits). Its NAICS code is 334513 and its SIC code is 3569.