PCCL

Polymer Research and Development Servicespccl.at

Company typePrivate
Founded2002
HeadquartersLeoben, Austria
Headcount51–100
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

PCCL firmographics

Firmographics

Name: PCCL
Legal name: Polymer Competence Center Leoben GmbH
Website: https://pccl.at
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2002
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 51–100 employees
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

PCCL industry classification

Industry

Product category: Polymer Research and Development Services
NAICS: Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins (325991)
SIC: Plastic Material, Synth Resin/Rubber, Cellulos (No Glass) (2820), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)
akta.pro primary industry: High-Performance & Specialty Polymers (PPS, LCP, PI/PAI, PAEK) (IMAEANAI)
akta.pro secondary industry: Engineering Plastics & Performance Resins (PC, PA, POM, PBT, PMMA) (IMAEADAI)

Keywords

Polymer research services
Polymer material development
Circular polymer economy
Composite materials testing
Polymer processing simulation

Where PCCL is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Leoben
HQ country: Austria
HQ region: Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

PCCL business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

Research and Development Contracts: PCCL conducts commissioned R&D projects in collaboration with industrial partners, funded through the COMET programme and other national/international funding schemes. Revenue is generated through research contracts, service fees for material analysis and development, and project-based collaborations with industry.
COMET Programme Funding: As a COMET K1 center, PCCL receives base funding from the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMIMI), Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy (BMWET), and federal states (Styria, Upper Austria, Vorarlberg), managed by FFG.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

PCCL product offering

Product offering

Core offering

PCCL (Polymer Competence Center Leoben GmbH) conducts applied polymer research and development, material analysis, and customized material development for industrial partners. The center covers the entire polymer value chain from material development, processing technologies, simulation, testing and characterization, to application development for sustainable high-performance polymers. It is organized around the COMET K1 Centre structure with three focus areas: Sustainable Polymer Technologies for Circularity, Functional and Reliable Polymers, and Digital Solutions in Polymer Technology.

Product overview

PCCL (Polymer Competence Center Leoben) operates as Austria's leading research center for polymer science and plastics engineering. The organization offers a comprehensive portfolio organized around the COMET K1 Centre structure with three research focus areas: Sustainable Polymer Technologies for Circularity, Functional and Reliable Polymers, and Digital Solutions in Polymer Technology. PCCL provides material analysis and development services, market-ready solution development, and R&D cooperation services to industry partners. The center also manages two COMET modules (BattLab for battery systems and Repairtecture for repair concepts) alongside its core research programs. Research infrastructure spans laboratories for polymer processing, characterization, aging testing, optical analysis, surface inspection, and simulation across approximately 650 m² of technical space.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

COMET Centre PCCL-K1 COMET K1 Centre developing innovative polymer solutions for sustainability, functionality, and digitalization. Features three research areas: Circularity and Sustainability, Functionality and Reliability, and Digital Solutions in Polymer Technology. A flagship collaborative R&D programme for industrial partners.
BattLab (COMET Module) COMET module developing functional polymers and simulation techniques to improve safety and performance of battery systems. Focuses on thermal runaway detection, heat shield evaluation, battery aging analysis, and thermomechanical prediction.
Repairtecture (COMET Module) COMET module developing innovative repair concepts for polymer-based materials and components including simulation tools, reversible polymer networks, debondable adhesives, and modular eco-design for extended product lifetimes.
Material Analysis and Development Services Analysis services for evaluating plastics using modern analytical methods, plus development of customized new materials for innovative applications. Targeted at industrial partners needing material characterization and bespoke polymer formulation.
Market-Ready Solution Development Innovation partnership from idea to market readiness, helping industrial partners reduce risks, accelerate development timelines, and realize competitive products.
R&D Cooperation Services Support in developing customized R&D projects using expertise in national and international funding landscape to efficiently implement innovation projects.

Quantifiable outcome

550+ peer-reviewed publications
+3 more outcomes

Companies that use PCCL

Customer profile

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

PCCL technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability8 records

Feature5 records

PCCL partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

28 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

ALWERA AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 April 2026Partner in CucurbitaCARE project developing bio-based coatings for agricultural applications.
Saatzucht Gleisdorf Gesellschaft m.b.H.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 April 2026Agricultural research partner in CucurbitaCARE contributing seed technology expertise for pumpkin cultivation protection.
AIT Austrian Institute of TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Project partner in BattLab COMET Module focused on battery systems research, contributing expertise in energy storage technologies.
AVL List GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partner in BattLab module working on battery system simulation and automotive electrification research.
Isovolta AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Industry partner in BattLab project contributing to battery safety research and functional coating development.
CIDETEC Energy StoragecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024European research partner in BattLab focusing on battery technology and energy storage solutions.
Borealis AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Industry partner in Repairtecture module developing repair concepts for polymer-based products and circular economy solutions.
FACC Operations GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Aerospace industry partner in Repairtecture contributing to lightweight polymer solutions and aircraft applications.
Andritz AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Industry partner in Repairtecture project focusing on industrial applications and sustainable manufacturing processes.
Brose Fahrzeugteile SE & Co. KGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Automotive supplier partner in Repairtecture contributing to polymer applications in vehicle manufacturing.
Czech Academy of SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024International scientific partner in Repairtecture contributing polymer science expertise to repair concepts research.
Maastricht UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Academic partner in Repairtecture contributing international research expertise to circular polymer economy.
Politecnico di TorinocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2023Coordinator of SURE-Poly project (EU Horizon Europe funding), leading development of bio-based dynamic polymer networks for 3D printing.
Luxinergy GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2023Industry partner in SURE-Poly contributing to sustainable photopolymer development and commercialization.
ANDRITZ Fabrics and Rolls GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner in the COMET Centre PCCL-K1, collaborating on polymer research projects focusing on circularity, functionality, and digitalization in polymer technologies.
AT&S Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner in COMET Centre PCCL-K1, working on advanced materials and technologies for electronic applications.
Borealis GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey industry partner in COMET Centre PCCL-K1, collaborating on polyolefin research and sustainable polymer solutions.
SABIC Global Technologies B.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational industry partner in COMET Centre PCCL-K1, contributing to polymer innovation and sustainable materials development.
Montanuniversität LeobencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding institution and primary shareholder (35%) of PCCL. Core academic partner providing research excellence in polymer science and engineering.
Graz University of Technology (TU Graz)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific partner (17% shareholder) in PCCL, contributing expertise through institutes including ICTM and IBioSys.
JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsges.mbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner (17% shareholder) contributing to applied polymer research and innovation projects.
Upper Austrian Research GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner (26% shareholder) supporting PCCL's innovation activities and regional research ecosystem.
Kunststoff-Cluster (Plastics Cluster)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustria's network for the plastics industry connecting companies, research institutions, and educational partners to strengthen innovation and cooperation.
ACstyria Mobility ClustercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustria's leading network for mobility technologies connecting companies and research institutions in automotive, aerospace, and rail sectors.
Green Tech Valley ClustercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEurope's leading network for climate and environmental technologies driving innovation in energy, circular economy, and sustainable industry.
Silicon Alps ClustercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustria's network for electronic and software-based systems focusing on microelectronics, sensor technologies, and embedded systems.
IEA PVPSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network promoting photovoltaic solar energy, collaborating on PV technology research and sustainability.
FELMI-ZFEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustrian research center specializing in electron microscopy and material characterization supporting PCCL's analytical capabilities.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

PCCL competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Smithers (formerly Smithers Rapra): Independent polymer testing, consulting, and research firm with long history in polymer science - performing comparable materials analysis, characterization, and applied R&D services for industrial clients across the polymer value chain.
AIT Austrian Institute of Technology: Austrian non-university research center with similar public co-funding and industry collaboration model. AIT is itself a PCCL partner on BattLab and addresses overlapping applied materials and polymer research domains with comparable COMET-style operating logic.
Joanneum Research: 17% shareholder of PCCL and a fellow COMET-affiliated Austrian research institute. Operates a comparable applied research portfolio with industry match-funding in similar thematic areas including materials and sustainable technologies.
AIMPLAS (Plastics Technology Centre): Spanish plastics technology center working on polymer development, recycling, and circular economy - directly mirroring PCCL's research areas. Both organizations target industrial clients in automotive, packaging, and construction with project-based R&D collaboration.
INM Leibniz Institute for New Materials: German Leibniz Institute conducting fundamental and applied research on new materials including polymers and composites. Comparable institutional model with public funding and industry partnerships targeting functional materials innovation.
Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF: German Fraunhofer institutes operate the same applied polymer/composites R&D model for industry with public co-funding. Fraunhofer LBF works on polymer durability and lightweighting - closely matching PCCL's functional/reliable polymers mandate and competing for similar European industry R&D budgets.

Emerging players

CIDETEC: Spanish applied research center and PCCL partner on BattLab, specializing in energy storage and surface treatments. Overlaps with PCCL's battery polymer and functional coatings research but focuses more narrowly on electrochemical applications.

Broad incumbents

SINTEF (Norway): Scandinavian applied research institute with significant polymer and materials research programs. Operates a similar co-funded applied research model with industry and government - a broader incumbent offering similar polymer science services to European industrial clients.
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: Finnish state-owned applied research organization operating across multiple industries with a materials and polymer division comparable to PCCL. Larger in scale but same applied research funding model and industry collaboration structure.

Others

Kunststoff-Cluster / Plastics Cluster Austria: Network of which PCCL is a member. The cluster connects polymer industry stakeholders - not a direct research peer but an adjacent ecosystem organization PCCL leverages for partner acquisition and industry networking across the Austrian plastics industry.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

PCCL financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

PCCL leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

PCCL funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

PCCL M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PCCL

What does PCCL do?

Is PCCL a public or private company?

PCCL is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was PCCL founded?

PCCL was founded in 2002. It employs 51 to 100 people.

Where is PCCL based?

PCCL is headquartered in Leoben, Austria, in the Europe region.

How does PCCL make money?

Two revenue lines are on record. Research and Development Contracts are the primary driver. The others are COMET Programme Funding.

Who are PCCL's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Smithers (formerly Smithers Rapra), AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Joanneum Research, AIMPLAS (Plastics Technology Centre), INM Leibniz Institute for New Materials and Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF. CIDETEC is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are SINTEF (Norway) and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Kunststoff-Cluster / Plastics Cluster Austria is listed as an others.

Does PCCL have an API?

No public API is recorded for PCCL.

What industry is PCCL in?

PCCL's product category is Polymer Research and Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEANAI, High-Performance & Specialty Polymers (PPS, LCP, PI/PAI, PAEK), with a secondary code of IMAEADAI, Engineering Plastics & Performance Resins (PC, PA, POM, PBT, PMMA). Its NAICS code is 325991 and its SIC code is 2820.