OFI Logo Bunt mit der Aufschrift: Fortschritt in guten Händen
About Us

Here you will find concentrated competence under one roof

Progress in good hands

We are your independent research and testing institute.

With our interdisciplinary team we always strive to realize your visions. We use our expertise to drive developments and accompany products on their way from the initial idea to a marketable innovation. In this way, the OFI acts as a technology translator, translating between science and industry and thus making progress possible in the first place.

Independence

Competent and reliable, OFI ensures the quality of products with its service portfolio as an independent third party.

Interdisciplinarity

Around 120 experts from a wide range of disciplines work together at the OFI, combining their knowledge to find innovative solutions.

Practical relevance

In cooperation with industry and research partners, OFI develops sustainable solutions that find direct application.

The future is the program for the OFI. We drive developments and innovations - as indispensable ingredients for tomorrow.

Hubert Culik, OFI President

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Foundation
The history of the OFI begins shortly after the Second World War, with the founding of the Chemical Research Institute of the Austrian Economy, CFI for short, in 1946, and is closely linked to the development of plastics as a material. Plastics and plastic products comprised only a very small percentage of total economic activity at that time. At that time, the annual per capita consumption of plastics was only 10-20 dag – an amount that today can at best be compared with the consumption of spices.
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Member of the ACR
Since 1954, OFI has been a member of the Austrian Cooperative Research (ACR), a research network of private research institutes, in order to conduct applied research & development for companies in cooperation with other institutes and thereby drive innovation. Start-ups and SMEs in particular, which do not have their own research departments, benefit from independent experts like the OFI who help them turn their ideas into reality.
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Quality mark issuance
As early as 1965, the OFI, then still CFI, was authorized to issue quality marks for plastics and plastic products. From the very beginning, the examination of products and the assessment of quality have been tasks that the OFI has fulfilled.
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Head office (object 213)
In 1966, a separate building is erected in the Arsenal for the OFI, then still CFI. Since then, the company headquarters have been located in Franz-Grill-Strasse.
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Award of the H.F. Mark Medal
On the occasion of the 80th birthday of Hermann Franz Mark, founder of modern polymer science and honorary president of the OFI, the H.F. Mark Medal is awarded for the first time in 1975. The award ceremony remains a fixture at OFI to this day. Each year, the H.F. Mark Medal honors individuals for their outstanding achievements in polymer science and/or the plastics industry.
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Renamed OFI
To reflect the breadth of industries served in the meantime, the institute was renamed the Austrian Research Institute for Chemistry and Technology (OFI) in 1984, the name it still bears today.
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Accreditation as a testing laboratory
As one of the first testing laboratories in Austria, the OFI received accreditation as a testing laboratory for the first time in 1992. Since then, the accredited procedures have been and are constantly being expanded.
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Competence Center for Water Treatment & Flow Technology
The OFI Competence Center for Water Treatment & Flow Technology is opened in Klagenfurt. With one of the largest test benches for UV disinfection systems, manufacturers from all over the world are offered the opportunity to test their large-scale treatment systems.
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Digitization of test reports
OFI is one of the first accredited bodies to digitize its reporting, and can make testing and inspection reports available digitally before the outbreak of the Corona pandemic.
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New accreditation as a proficiency testing provider
For many years now, the OFI has been offering a proficiency test, as proficiency tests are also called, in the form of the OFI-pts. Carefully prepared accreditation for this area. With success: OFI is one of the first bodies in Austria to be accredited as a provider of proficiency testing according to EN ISO/IEC 17043:2010.

With interdisciplinary know-how and many years of experience, the OFI acts as a technology translator, translating between science and industry and thus making progress possible in the first place.

Michael Balak & Udo Pappler, OFI Managing Directors

The OFI in figures

Facts & Figures

million EURO turnover generated by OFI in 2024
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Gender Equality

Gender Equality Plan

At OFI, we work in interdisciplinary teams where differences enrich us just as much as similarities. We are convinced that a diverse, equal working environment – regardless of gender, origin, sexual orientation, age, or other personal characteristics – strengthens our employees and promotes our innovative strength and competitiveness. The OFI equality plan aims to support and reinforce a culture of openness and diversity.

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References

What customers and partners say about us

Appropriate expertise and reliability are the basis for awarding contract analytics to an external partner – especially in the biopharmaceutical environment. Here we have found in OFI Technologie & Innovation GmbH an institution that can respond promptly and flexibly to our requirements. Thanks to its many years of experience, the OFI is an important partner for us when it comes to answering specific analytical questions.

Christoph Reinisch

Valneva Austria GmbH
The experts of the OFI support us with the preparation of expert opinions, tenders and evaluations of construction measures carried out so perfectly that we can manage our tasks in the field of building renovation unerringly and efficiently. In this way, we guarantee our customers that there will be no misguided investments.

Mag. Alois Rosenberger

Rosenberger Real Estate Management
OFI is THE competent and reliable partner for us when it comes to testing materials, issuing expert opinions and construction supervision. We are always happy to make use of the professional knowledge of OFI training instructors.

Ferenc Sabo

SMT Real Estate
Freudenberg Filtration Technologies relies on OFI’s high level of expertise in the chemical, microbiological and biological characterization of filter materials. We appreciate the very constructive and extremely exciting collaboration in research projects as well as the exact performance of tests in the field of cytotoxicity, irritation and sensitization.

Uwe Häfner

Freudenberg Filtration Technologies
The ÖFHF is proud to have a partner like the OFI. During the preparation of the ÖFHF adhesive data sheet, the experts of the OFI supported us with valuable know-how on the subject of “adhesive bonding on facades”. It was just the right input.

Ernst Gregorites

ÖFHF

We wish you a wonderful Advent.

Many OFI experts will be on holiday from December 22nd 2025 to January 6th 2026!
Our reception is closed from December 24th to January