Institute for Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry (ITMC) - RWTH Aachen

What Institute for Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry (ITMC) - RWTH Aachen does

ITMC (Institut für Technische und Makromolekulare Chemie) is an academic research institute within RWTH Aachen University's Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, located at Worringerweg 2, Aachen, Germany. The institute is structured as a federation of independent research groups led by full professors and group leaders, including Prof. Jürgen Klankermayer (Managing Director, catalysis), Prof. Regina Palkovits (Heterogeneous Catalysis & Chemical Technology), Prof. Marcellus Liauw (Technical Chemistry / Reaction Engineering), Prof. Thomas Wiegand (Magnetic Resonance of Complex Materials and Catalysts, jointly with MPI CEC), Prof. Andrij Pich (Functional and Interactive Polymers, jointly with DWI), Prof. Leitner, Prof. Herrmann, Prof. Appelt, Prof. De Laporte, Prof. Genreith-Schriever, and PD Dr. Adams, plus group leaders Dr. Stefan Palkovits, Dr. Peter Hausoul, Dr. Justus Kümper, and Dr. Joby Sebastian. Research spans heterogeneous catalysis, ultra-fast solid-state NMR spectroscopy (≥100 kHz MAS), electrochemistry (including electrochemical depolymerization of polyesters), polymer chemistry, technical reaction engineering, photoreactor design, CO2 utilization, and biomass conversion.

ITMC offers chemistry bachelor, master, and teacher-training academic programs under RWTH governance, and supervises bachelor, master, and PhD research theses. The institute does not operate a commercial revenue model; activities are financed through state allocations from North Rhine-Westphalia, competitive third-party grants (DFG, BMBF, EU Framework Programs, Werner Siemens Foundation), and project-based industry collaborations. Research outputs are disseminated via peer-reviewed publications (Nature, Angew. Chem., Energy & Environmental Science, Green Chemistry), academic conferences, Google Scholar profiles, and RWTH institutional channels.

ITMC holds an extensive portfolio of granted patents spanning photoreactor systems (Liauw group, 2026), electrochemical polyester depolymerization (Palkovits group), pyrrolidone-substituted polyols, anionic surfactants from renewable resources, anti-graying detergents, polymeric washing agents, and processes for producing 1,2-propanediol, methylpyrrolidones, and glycols from sugars/sugar alcohols. The institute is deeply integrated into a wider ecosystem of strategic partnerships including Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion (MPI CEC), Max Planck Institute for Coal Research (MPI KoFo), DWI Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Fraunhofer IME, Center for Molecular Transformations (CMT), RWTH's profile area Molecular Science and Engineering, and funded clusters catalaix (Werner Siemens Foundation "project of the century"), FSC2 Fuel Science Center, Bio4MatPro, AUFBRUCH graduate cluster, SusChemSys, HyPotential IRTG, QuinCat incubator, and KOALA spin-off platform.

Name

Institute for Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry (ITMC) - RWTH Aachen

Legal name

RWTH Aachen University

Website

https://itmc.rwth-aachen.de

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ITMC is a non-commercial academic research institute within RWTH Aachen University conducting research in technical and macromolecular chemistry — including heterogeneous catalysis, solid-state NMR spectroscopy, electrochemistry, polymer chemistry, and CO2/biomass conversion — and offering chemistry bachelor, master, and teacher-training degree programs to students while serving academic and industry research collaborators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Chemistry Research and Education

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) (EDAHAAAC)

Keywords

• Heterogeneous catalysis research
• Macromolecular chemistry research
• Solid-state NMR spectroscopy
• Electrochemical conversion technology
• Sustainable chemistry research

Headquarters

HQ city

Aachen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ITMC is an academic research and teaching institute at RWTH Aachen University that delivers undergraduate and graduate chemistry degree programs (Bachelor, Master, and Teacher Training) and conducts fundamental and applied research in heterogeneous catalysis, solid-state NMR spectroscopy, electrochemistry, polymer chemistry, molecular transformations, and sustainable chemistry. The institute houses multiple research groups led by professors and provides supervised research projects, theses, and collaborative research partnerships with industry and other academic institutions.

Product overview

ITMC (Institute for Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry) is a research institute at RWTH Aachen University comprising multiple academic chairs and research groups. The institute offers undergraduate and graduate chemistry programs (Bachelor, Master, and Teacher Training) and conducts research in catalysis, materials chemistry, NMR spectroscopy, electrochemistry, and reaction engineering. Research groups under the institute include those led by Prof. Palkovits (Heterogeneous Catalysis), Prof. Liauw (Technical Chemistry), Prof. Wiegand (Magnetic Resonance), Prof. Pich (Functional Polymers), Prof. Klankermayer, Prof. Leitner, Prof. Herrmann, Prof. Appelt, Prof. De Laporte, and Prof. Genreith-Schriever. The institute provides research project opportunities and degree theses supervision.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chemistry Bachelor Program
• Chemistry Master Program
• Chemistry Teacher Training Programs (Bachelor and Master)
• Research Projects and Degree Theses Supervision
• Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy Research Solid-state NMR spectroscopy research service using proton-detected experiments at MAS frequencies of 100 kHz or higher to probe weak chemical interactions, molecular recognition processes, and catalyst characterization for academic and industrial partners.
• Molecular Science and Engineering Research Interdisciplinary research in molecular transformations, sustainable bioeconomy, and circular economy technologies conducted through RWTH's profile area collaboration, integrating chemistry, biology, physics, process engineering, and medicine.
• Technical Chemistry and Reaction Engineering Research Research combining micro- and macrokinetic studies, process analytical technology (PAT), and new reactor concepts for chemical production optimization, including microreaction engineering and self-optimizing systems, led by Prof. Liauw.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple high-impact publications in leading journals including Nature Chemistry Biology, Nature Communications, Angew. Chem., and Energy & Environmental Science
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• DWI - Leibniz-Institut für Interaktive Materialien e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDWI is co-located at RWTH Aachen and shares faculty with ITMC. Prof. Pich holds a joint appointment as Professor (W3) at RWTH and serves on DWI's scientific advisory board.
• Center for Molecular Transformations (CMT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMT is an RWTH center focused on molecular transformations that involves multiple ITMC researchers. Dr. Stefan Palkovits previously served as Managing Director of CMT.
• Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion (MPI CEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProf. Palkovits is a Max Planck Fellow at MPI CEC. Prof. Wiegand serves as Heisenberg Professor and Research Group Leader at MPI CEC. Close research collaboration in catalysis and magnetic resonance.
• Max Planck Institute for Coal Research (MPI KoFo)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with MPI KoFo in Mülheim. Prof. Palkovits previously worked as group leader at MPI KoFo during her career.
• Profile Area Molecular Science and Engineering (MSE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerITMC is integrated into RWTH's MSE profile area which brings together scientists from chemistry, biology, physics, process engineering, and medicine for molecular transformations research.
• catalaixcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch center for catalysis for circular economy funded by Werner Siemens Foundation. Prof. Palkovits serves as speaker of catalaix. Recognized as WSS 'project of the century'.
• Bio4MatPromajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompetence center for biological transformation of materials science and production technology. Prof. Palkovits is a PI in this BMBF-funded initiative.
• CARE - Climate-Neutral and Resource-Efficient ResearchmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRWTH excellence in research initiative focused on climate neutrality and resource efficiency. ITMC contributes to sustainable chemistry research within this framework.
• FSC2 - Fuel Science CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational excellence cluster on fuel science. Prof. Palkovits is a Core PI. Collaborative research on sustainable fuel production.
• SusChemSys - Sustainable Chemistry SystemsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch network on sustainable chemical systems. CMT manages this initiative with involvement from ITMC researchers. Celebrating 10-year anniversary in 2026.
• AUFBRUCH Graduate ClustercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDFG-funded graduate cluster 'Growing Green - AUFBRUCH in a sustainable bioeconomy'. Prof. Palkovits leads the cluster. Multiple ITMC researchers are PIs.
• QuinCat IncubatormajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIncubator for quinone-based chemistry and technology. Prof. Palkovits serves on the management board. Focus on commercialization of electrochemical processes.
• KOALA - Cooperation Platform for Sustainable Chemistry Spin-offsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRW platform for sustainable chemistry spin-off potentials. Prof. Palkovits serves as co-leader.
• HyPotential IRTGmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Research Training Group on hydrogen research funded by DFG. Prof. Palkovits is a PI.
• Aachen-Maastricht Institute for Bio-Based Materials (AMIBM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProf. Pich holds a part-time professorship at Maastricht University as part of AMIBM, focusing on biobased polymers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Catalysis Research Center (CRC) - Technical University of Munich: TUM's Catalysis Research Center is a German university-affiliated center for catalysis research, directly comparable to ITMC's catalaix and Palkovits/Wiegand/Klankermayer groups. It operates at similar scale with similar DFG and industry funding models.
• Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society: The Fritz Haber Institute in Berlin is a Max Planck institute focused on molecular-scale surface chemistry and catalysis, with significant overlap to ITMC's heterogeneous catalysis and reaction engineering research. Comparable in scale, funding model, and research focus.
• Max Planck Institute for Coal Research (MPI KoFo): MPI KoFo in Mülheim is a Max Planck institute historically focused on catalysis and coal/petroleum chemistry. Prof. Palkovits previously worked there as a group leader, and it is directly comparable to ITMC in heterogeneous catalysis, electrochemistry, and reaction engineering.
• Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion (MPI CEC): MPI CEC in Mülheim an der Ruhr is the closest peer: a public research institute focused on chemical energy conversion and catalysis, where ITMC faculty (Palkovits as Max Planck Fellow, Wiegand as Heisenberg Professor and Research Group Leader) hold joint appointments. It is comparable in mission, scale, and scientific domain.
• Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces: MPI-KG in Potsdam is a Max Planck Institute with strong programs in polymer, colloid, and interface chemistry, closely comparable to ITMC's Pich group and macromolecular chemistry activities. Both are public, publicly funded research institutes with similar publication output and group sizes.
• DWI Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials: DWI is a Leibniz Institute co-located at RWTH Aachen that shares faculty with ITMC (Prof. Pich holds a W3 joint appointment). It is highly comparable as a polymer and functional materials research institute with joint Aachen university appointments and a similar funding mix.

Broad incumbents

• ETH Zurich - Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences: ETH Zurich's chemistry department is where Prof. Wiegand was previously Oberassistent/Privatdozent. As a larger and broader chemistry department at a top European technical university, it overlaps ITMC's catalysis, NMR, and polymer chemistry, but at greater scale and scope.
• EPFL - Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering: EPFL's ISIC is a leading European university chemistry institute comparable in research quality to ITMC, with strong programs in catalysis, polymer chemistry, and sustainable chemistry. It is broader in scope and larger in scale than ITMC.

Others

• UC Berkeley - Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: UC Berkeley's chemistry and CBE programs are leading US university research groups in catalysis, electrochemistry, and sustainable chemistry, thematically comparable to ITMC but at significantly larger scale and as a competitor for top international faculty and students.
• MIT - Department of Chemical Engineering: MIT ChemE is a leading global academic research group in catalysis, electrochemistry, and reaction engineering, thematically comparable to ITMC's Palkovits, Liauw, and Klankermayer groups, but at much larger scale and as a global talent competitor rather than a direct institutional peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WiegandLab
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-for-technical-and-macromolecular-chemistry-itmc---rwth-aachen
• Instagraminstagram.com/palkovitslab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute for Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry (ITMC) - RWTH Aachen