Institute Presentation

Once founded as the first German Tanners School (1889) and the first German Research Institute of the Tanning Industry (1897), today the FILK with its versatile portfolio is a modern research institution of the leather and plastic sheeting industry. Our core competences comprise the development of materials such as leather, artificial leather, collagen, flexible and laminar plastics, plastic sheeting, textiles and composites of them, as well as technologies for their manufacturing, refining, coating or surface modification.
As an independent research institution the transfer of current scientific knowledge in these areas into applicable, practically relevant solutions and marketable, sustainable technologies for small and medium-sized enterprises are the focus of our innovative research activities.

At the FILK research and development projects financed by the Federal Government and the Federal States of Germany as well as customer-specific mission oriented research and provision of services are realised. For this purpose there are excellent equipped bench and pilot scale units to our customers´ disposal. Modern measurement und testing engineering completes the technical facilities.

Our partners and customers profit from a multidisciplinary team of chemists, biologists, physicists, mathematicians and engineers of various branches of study which together with our capable test laboratory provide for a competent, successful and professional accomplishment of projects and tasks. In this connexion, our range of competence comprises technology and process development, application tests, pilot runs for technologies and products, test services, expertise, failure analysis as well as consulting and training.


As regards scientific content the FILK is composed of three divisions: Leather/Biopolymers, Plastic Sheeting and Material Characterisation (with accredited test laboratory). Long-time experience and competence in these areas make us an expert partner for enterprises from the following industries:

- Manufacturers and refiners of leather as well as suppliers of tanning agents and auxiliaries
- Manufacturers and refiners of plastic sheeting and composites of the same
- Manufacturers and refiners of technical textiles and non-wovens
- Suppliers of raw and auxiliary materials for the plastic industry
- Manufacturers of laminar composites and coatings made of polymers
- Suppliers of the automotive industry (especially interior)
- Manufacturers and processors of collagen
- Manufacturers and users of medical products made of collagen