Łukasiewicz – IMN

What Łukasiewicz – IMN does

Łukasiewicz – IMN is a Polish government-owned applied research institute, founded in 1952 and headquartered in Gliwice, that specializes in non-ferrous metals research and advanced materials engineering. Since April 2019 it has operated as part of the Łukasiewicz Research Network, a consolidated group of 22 Polish research institutes employing more than 4,500 scientists. IMN maintains four sites (Gliwice, Poznań, Legnica, Skawina) and runs dedicated divisions in pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy, electrometallurgy, battery technology, powder metallurgy, additive manufacturing, refractory ceramics, anticorrosion protection, and analytical chemistry. It is the only Polish manufacturer of aviation batteries and thermal reserve batteries, produced under the CLAiO brand.

Its commercial offering combines competitive research grants (from NCBiR, M-ERA.NET, the Norwegian Financial Mechanism and similar programs), bespoke industrial R&D contracts, pilot-scale metallurgical process work, and the manufacture and supply of specialized batteries. The customer base is concentrated among large Polish industrial and defense buyers, including KGHM Polska Miedź, ZGH Bolesław, MESKO (defense), Hutmen and the Norwegian metals group Elkem, alongside consortium partners in Canada and other EEA countries. Pricing is project-based on industrial R&D engagements, cost-plus on grant-funded work, and product-based on CLAiO battery sales; the institute does not sell subscription software or a recurring platform and operates as a hybrid public-research and contract-manufacturing entity rather than a venture-backed growth company.

Name

Łukasiewicz – IMN

Legal name

Sieć Badawcza Łukasiewicz – Instytut Metali Nieżelaznych

Website

https://imn.lukasiewicz.gov.pl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Łukasiewicz – IMN is a Polish government-owned applied research institute specializing in non-ferrous metals R&D, pyrometallurgy, battery technology, and powder metallurgy, serving large industrial and defense customers under the consolidated Łukasiewicz Research Network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-Ferrous Metals Research & Materials Science Services

NAICS

Metal Coating, Engraving (except Jewelry and Silverware), and Allied Services to Manufacturers (332812), All Other Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (32799), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Ordnance & Accessories, (No Vehicles/Guided Missiles) (3480), Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)

akta.pro primary industry

Mine Development & Processing EPC (Critical Minerals) (IMAKAFAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

ESG, Traceability & Certification Services (Responsible Sourcing) (IMAKAFAN), Corrosion Inspection & Coating/CP Surveys (CUI, CP, DCVG/ACVG) (EUAEAHAF)

Keywords

• Non-ferrous metallurgy research
• Thermal battery manufacturing
• Certified reference materials
• Powder metallurgy services
• Hydrometallurgical process development

Headquarters

HQ city

Gliwice

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. R&D Project Services (Domestic and International Grants): The institute conducts R&D projects funded by national grants (NCBiR, Structural Funds) and international programs (Horizon Europe, M-ERA.NET, RFCS, EDA, KIC RawMaterials, KIC InnoEnergy, Norway Grants). Revenue is generated through project execution, often as consortium leader or partner.
2. Laboratory and Analytical Services: Accredited and non-accredited laboratory testing, measurement, and analytical services for industry clients. Includes chemical analysis, metallography, corrosion testing, and environmental measurements.
3. Product Sales (CLAiO Batteries, PolGrit™ Abrasives, CRMs): Sale of proprietary products including thermal batteries (BTR series), aviation batteries, certified reference materials, and copper slag abrasives to industrial clients and government/defence contractors.
4. Technology Licensing and Consulting: Transfer of developed technologies and expertise to industrial clients, including technology certification, expert opinions, and consulting services for non-ferrous metals process optimization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Łukasiewicz – IMN is a Polish state R&D institute that conducts applied research, laboratory testing, and consulting for the non-ferrous metals industry, and manufactures proprietary products including thermal batteries (BTR series) for precision-guided missiles, CLAiO aviation and reserve batteries, ISO 17034-certified reference materials, copper alloy 3D printing feedstock, and PolGrit™ abrasives from recycled copper slag. It sells these products and services directly to industrial, defence, and government clients through project contracts and grant-funded research consortia.

Product overview

Łukasiewicz – IMN is a research institute offering a portfolio of proprietary products, testing services, and R&D capabilities for the non-ferrous metals industry. Core proprietary products include the BTR series thermal batteries (power systems for precision-guided missiles), Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) for spectral/chemical analysis, 3D printing feedstock materials (copper alloy wires), modular hybrid energy storage technology, and plasma spheroidization of metal powders. The institute operates the CLAiO sub-brand for special-purpose aviation and military batteries (over 75 years of heritage) and PolGrit™ for industrial abrasives made from recycled copper slags. Supporting infrastructure includes accredited testing laboratories (analytical chemistry, gas purification, magnetic materials, chemical power sources, metallography, foundry, corrosion, hydrometallurgy, tribology) offering analytical services, certification, and expert opinions to industry clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CLAiO (Centralne Laboratorium Akumulatorów i Ogniw): Own brand recognized worldwide for special purpose batteries including aviation batteries and thermally activated reserve batteries.
• PolGrit™

Products and services

• Thermal Batteries BTR Series Primary thermal batteries serving as power supply systems for precision-guided missiles, based on proprietary original technology independent of third-country economic and political systems. Sold to defence industry clients.
• Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) Certified reference materials for spectral and chemical analysis ensuring measurement consistency, correctness, and accuracy of test results with traceability to SI units. Sold to metallurgical labs, customs offices, and silicon producers.
• 3D Printing Feedstock Materials (Copper Alloy Wire) Copper alloy wire (1mm) feedstock materials for 3D printing of complex elements resistant to aggressive corrosive environments such as seawater. Materials retain properties through recycling.
• Modular and Hybrid Energy Storage Technology Adjustable energy storage system configuration that integrates with renewable energy sources for civil and military applications, targeting prosumer markets.
• Metal Powder Plasma Spheroidization Technology Plasma spheroidization technology producing powder feedstocks for 3D printing of specialized high-temperature-resistant components with high dimensional accuracy for defence and nuclear energy applications.
• CLAiO Brand Aviation and Reserve Batteries Special purpose batteries including aviation accumulators, thermal batteries, and batteries for military applications. Technology developed from scratch under the CLAiO brand; recognized worldwide with over 75 years of brand history.
• PolGrit™ Abrasives Professional abrasive for blast cleaning produced from waste copper slags, used to clean metal surfaces in preparation for anti-corrosion protection. Supports circular economy objectives.
• Soft Magnetic Cores Soft magnetic materials for various industrial applications.
• Accredited Laboratory at Centre of Analytical Chemistry Accredited testing laboratory providing chemical analysis services to industrial clients.
• Measurement and Technology Laboratory for Gas Purification Laboratory providing emission measurements and gas purification technology services to industrial clients.
• Laboratory of Advanced Magnetic Materials Laboratory focused on advanced magnetic materials research and development for industrial clients.
• Chemical Power Sources Testing Laboratory Laboratory for testing chemical power sources including batteries and cells.
• Laboratory of Metallography and Chemical Analysis Laboratory providing metallographic examination and chemical analysis services to industrial clients.
• Laboratory of Foundry and Device Construction Laboratory for foundry research and industrial device construction to support metallurgical R&D projects.
• Corrosion Laboratory and Surface Engineering Services Laboratory providing corrosion testing and surface engineering services to industrial clients.
• Hydrometallurgical Laboratory Services Laboratory focused on hydrometallurgical processes and technologies, supporting pilot and industrial-scale projects.
• Laboratory of Materials Research, Tribology and Surface Engineering Laboratory for materials research, tribology studies, and surface engineering services.
• Technology Licensing and Consulting Transfer of developed technologies and expertise to industrial clients, including technology certification, expert opinions, and consulting services for non-ferrous metals process optimization.

Quantifiable outcome

• Łukasiewicz – IMN is the only manufacturer in Poland of aircraft accumulators and batteries and thermally activated reserve batteries.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Elkem ASA (Norway)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2020Elkem ASA, the world's leading silicon producer, partnered with Łukasiewicz – IMN as a business partner in the SILREF project (NOR/POLNOR/SilRef/0004/2019-00). Elkem produces homogenous silicon-based materials with required properties and element content, which Łukasiewicz – IMN characterises and prepares for commercial CRM production under ISO 17034 standards.
• École de Technologie Supérieure (Canada)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in the WReMo project (M-ERA.NET2/2020/5/2021) focused on production of W-Re and Mo-Re high-melting metal powders for additive manufacturing in aerospace applications.
• Université de Sherbrooke (Canada)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner in the WReMo project, contributing to the development of LPBF process parameters for W-Re and Mo-Re powders.
• Progresja S.A. (Poland)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolish industrial partner in the WReMo project consortium, contributing to the development and market introduction of high-melting metal powders for additive manufacturing.
• Gefertec (Germany)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch project partner that used Łukasiewicz – IMN's 3D printing copper alloy wire feedstock materials in its production processes for Gefertec's wire-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) applications.
• NCBiR (National Centre for Research and Development, Poland)coreOthersNCBiR is the primary national funding body for the institute's applied research projects. Funding provided through programmes including STAIR (Polish-German cooperation) and other national R&D competitions.
• Norwegian Financial Mechanism / Small Grant SchemecoreOthersCo-funder of the RenMet project (NOR/SGS/RenMet/0049/2020-00) through the Norway Grants 'Applied Research' programme, providing 903,875 PLN (approx. 198,645 EUR) for rhenium recovery technology development.
• M-ERA.NET (EU Research Consortium)coreOthersEU-funded networking and co-financing programme supporting trans-national research in materials science and engineering. Funded the WReMo project (M-ERA.NET2/2020/5/2021) with 1,904,459.73 PLN.
• NCBiR / Narodowe Centrum Badań i Rozwoju (Poland)coreOthersNational funding agency providing direct project funding (via M-ERA.NET2 and other calls) and co-financing for WReMo and other national R&D projects.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• SINTEF: Norway's largest contract research organization, with which IMN co-executes Norwegian Financial Mechanism–funded projects (RenMet). SINTEF operates comparable metallurgical, materials, and circular economy research programs for industrial clients.
• RISE Research Institutes of Sweden: Swedish state-owned applied research group with materials, mining, and metallurgy divisions offering accredited testing, pilot production, and certification — directly comparable to IMN's lab and pilot-services portfolio.
• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: Finnish state-owned applied research organization with similar industrial R&D, certification, and pilot-line capabilities across metals, energy storage, and advanced materials — a comparable European model for state-funded applied research commercialization.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Non-Destructive Testing (IZFP): German applied-research giant with comparable materials-testing, characterization, and NDT service offerings. A broad European incumbent in contract R&D and industrial metrology for metals and advanced materials sectors.

Others

• Elkem ASA: World's leading silicon producer and IMN's strategic partner in the SILREF CRM project. Functions as both customer/partner and a benchmark for advanced silicon materials — a large industrial incumbent adjacent to IMN's reference-materials and metallurgical value chain.

Emerging players

• PyroGenesis Canada Inc. Canadian plasma atomization technology firm that partnered with IMN on the WReMo project for high-melting metal powders. Comparable plasma-based powder production technology positioning both firms in the additive manufacturing feedstock market.
• Saft (TotalEnergies): French defense and industrial battery manufacturer (now part of TotalEnergies) producing thermal reserve and aviation batteries. Direct competitor/peer to IMN's CLAiO division in the same defense-grade power source niche.

Direct peers

• Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science, Polish Academy of Sciences: Polish research institute with overlapping mandate in metallurgy and materials science. The Director of IMIM PAN sits on IMN's Institute Council, signaling deep institutional overlap; both publish in metallurgical research and conduct advanced alloy/composite materials work.
• AGH University of Science and Technology (Faculty of Non-Ferrous Metals): Polish academic institution whose Department of Non-Ferrous Metals is represented on IMN's Institute Council. Closely comparable in metallurgical research specialization; functions as both a research peer and a talent pipeline for IMN.
• KGHM Cuprum R&D Center: Research center of KGHM Polska Miedź, the largest copper producer in Europe. Directly comparable as a Polish non-ferrous metals R&D organization serving the same industrial ecosystem; both are metallurgical innovation hubs anchored in the Silesian industrial region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IMNGliwice
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@imngliwice
• Facebookfacebook.com/IMNGliwice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lukasiewicz-instytut-metali-niezelaznych

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Łukasiewicz – IMN