LIT Factory

The LIT Factory at the Linz Institute of Technology (LIT) located at the Johannes Kepler University (JKU) in Linz is a networked pilot plant for education, learning and researching smart polymer processing, recycling and digital transformation.

Renowned for its art of engineering, the Johannes Kepler University Linz can look back on decades of advancements in creative technology and strong impact in the region. By combining its resources, the Linz Institute of Technology – simply known as LIT – has become a place to carve out progressive traditions and pave the way to the future. LIT gives researchers from different backgrounds and departments in engineering and technology the space they need to not only pool resources and network, but also conduct leading research on future domains, such as digitalization, artificial intelligence, and big data. Our cooperation partners include a large number of supportive, internationally active companies.

Education and research at LIT go hand-in-hand. JKU scientists not only conduct cutting-edge research, they are educating students, passing their expertise on to a new generation by supporting a ‘learning-by-doing’ approach and helping students play a key role in shaping our research of tomorrow. The LIT is home to departments and institutes at the JKU Faculty of Engineering & Natural Sciences, providing space for everyone to work together.

LIT Open Innovation Center

This particular co-working space at the JKU campus brings expertise and experience in science and business together under one roof, creating an environment designed to encourage and foster innovation.

LIT’s 8,000 m² of open space provides transdisciplinary research labs and companies with the capacity they need to work closely and collaborate, united in a purposeful focus that will advance technological innovation and positively impact people’s daily lives. The pilot factory, the LIT Factory, gives researchers the facilities required to test and improve on new technologies and industrial processes, particularly in the field of sustainable polymers.

Plastics have evolved into a key aspect of the circular economy and together with notable companies, research is being conducted to explore the entire life cycle of polymer products and test new methods in production and recycling. While plastics are a part of our everyday lives, they are not a part of the natural environment or our oceans. These are the kinds of issues researchers at LIT are working on.