Why are we called the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology?

The Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology is named after Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.

He was a philosopher and mathematician.

At the institute we research physical plasmas.

When a lot of electricity is supplied to a gas, a plasma is created.

That is why it is an institute for plasma research and technology.

The short form for the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology is INP.

That stands for Institute for Low Temperature Plasma Physics.

That's what we used to be called.

The term is still used.

What is plasma?

There are four states of matter.

These are phenomena of substances.

The first three states of aggregation are solid, liquid and gaseous.

If you add energy to a solid substance, it becomes liquid.

If you add energy to a liquid, it becomes gaseous.

And if you add energy to a gas, it becomes plasma.

Plasma is the fourth state of matter.

Plasma is everywhere.

The sun, stars and lightning are made of plasma.

These are natural plasmas.

But there are also artificial plasmas.

This requires a large amount of energy to be supplied to a gas.

At the INP, we work with artificial plasmas.

Research at the INP

The INP is one of the leading research institutes in the world.

Low-temperature plasmas are researched here.

These are electrically charged gases.

INP is the largest research institute in Europe in this field of research.

Around 200 scientists work at the INP.

These are physicists, chemists, biologists and other members of staff.

Plasmas are very interesting at the moment.

They can be used for environmentally friendly technology.

Also for health and hygiene.

Where do we work with plasma?

Plasma is used in medicine and industry, for example.

In medicine, plasma can be used to heal wounds.

Cold plasma hits the skin and destroys bacteria and fungi.

Without damaging the skin.

In industry, plasma is used to modify and coat surfaces.

Coating surfaces can give things new properties.

For example, things can become water-repellent.

You know this from rain jackets.

The INP

The INP is part of the Leibniz Association.

The INP is organized as a registered association.

The INP's partners are universities, research institutes and companies.

The INP is a research facility.

Such facilities are also called institutes.

How do we work?

The INP stands for good scientific practice.

This is the scientific work we do.

The INP delivers excellence in science and technology.

We stick to the rules.

This is how we safeguard our scientific work.

The INP looks at the state of research worldwide.

And we critically question our own results.

So that we can learn from mistakes.

This is important to move research forward.

How do we proceed?

We want to achieve our planned goals.

And achieve lasting results.

The INP offers its employees very good working conditions. Being creative and gaining new perspectives is also important.

The focus is on topics that move the world.

And are important worldwide.

Where do we work?

We work nationally and internationally.

In Germany and worldwide.

We work with other research institutions.

They are spread all over the world.

The INP supports its employees.

So that they can work together with other scientists in Europe and around the world.

Equal rights for all

We offer equal opportunities.

These are fair opportunities for all.

The INP is committed to equality.

This means that everyone is on an equal level.

In other words, everyone has the same rights.

This applies to all genders and people with disabilities.

No one is treated worse here because of their origin.

No one is treated worse here because of their appearance.

No one is treated worse here because of their disability.

The INP is family-friendly.

It is easy to combine family and career.

The INP has often received awards for this.

The building

The INP is located at Felix-Hausdorff-Straße 2 in Greifswald.

The INP has been there since 1999.

The main building has an area of 3,700 square meters.

There are 133 workstations in this building.

And 41 laboratories.

There is also an extension.

It was opened in 2010.

The extension has 450 square meters with 30 workstations.

And 8 laboratories.

How many people work at the INP?

About 200 people work at the INP.

How much money does the INP have at its disposal?

In 2020, the INP had around 20 million euros for research and work.