The Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V. (Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden) is closely linked with the Technische Universität Dresden.

Since 2012, the Technische Universität Dresden has been one of 11 German Universities of Excellence.  In July 2019, the Technische Universität Dresden was among the winners in the Excellence Strategy Competition and selected for permanent funding as University of Excellence.
More on the excellence status.
The IPF has been involved in the university`s activities within the Excellence Initiative Programme launched by the German federal and state governments right from the beginning.

The close connections with the university are based on joint professorships established at the date of the institute's foundation in 1992.
In addition, the institute is a member of DRESDEN concept. 

Joint appointments/teaching activities

Leading scientists of the IPF are at the same time appointed professors at the Technische Universität Dresden:

• Prof. Dr. Carsten Werner:
  Scientific Director of the IPF and Head of the Institute Biofunctional Polymer Materials at the IPF –Professor of Biofunctional Polymer Materials (School of Science, Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry)
• Prof. Dr. Brigitte Voit:
  Head of the IPF Institute Macromolecular Chemistry –
  Chair of Organic Chemistry of Polymers (School of Science, Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry)
• Prof. Dr. Andreas Fery:
  Head of the IPF Institute Physical Chemistry and Physics of Polymers  –
  Professor for Physical Chemistry of Polymeric Materials (School of Science, Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry)
• Prof. Dr. Jens-Uwe Sommer:
  Head of the Institute Theory of Polymers at the IPF –
  Professor of Theory of Polymers (School of Science, Faculty of Physics)
• Prof. Dr.-Ing. Markus Stommel:
  Head of the Institute Polymer Materials at the IPF
  Professor of Polymer Materials Science (School of Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Science and Engineering)
• Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sven Wießner:
  Head of the Research Division Elastomers at the IPF
  Professor for Elastomer Materials (School of Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Science and Engineering)
• Prof. Dr. Ivan Minev:
  Head of the Research Division Electronic Tissue Technologies at the IPF -
  Else Kröner Professor for Electronic Tissue Technologies (TU Dresden, Else Kröner Fresenius Center for Digital Health, and IPF)
• Prof. Dr. Arash Nikoubashman:
  Head of the Research Division Theory of Biologically Inspired Polymers at the IPF -
  Heisenberg Professor for Theory of Biologically Inspired Polymers (School of Science, Faculty of Physics)

In addition junior researchers of the IPF have been appointed TUD Young Investigators.

Collaborative research activities

IPF and TUD have jointly established the Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials, which has merged under one roof in a building opened at the IPF campus in 2002 activities of the two institutions in the field of Molecular Bioengineering.

With its Institute Biofunctional Polymer Materials and the Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials the IPF closely collaborates with the Research Centre Regenerative Therapies (crtd), the „Dresden International Graduate School for Biomedicine and Bioengineering“ (both emerged from the exellence initiative), the Center for Molecular Bioengineering B-Cube (emerged from Center for Innovation financed by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, co-initiator: Prof. Dr. Carsten Werner), and the Else Kröner Fresenius Center for Digital Health at TU Dresden.

IPF researchers are also principal investigators in the excellence cluster "Physics of Life" and in the  "Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden (cfaed)" (former cluster of excellence) and the integrated graduate school, and they cooperating in the International Helmholtz Research School NanoNet.

In 2016, the IPF was cofounder of the Research Centre for High-Performance Fibres, Structures and Textile Machine Development (HP-Fibre Structures).

The IPF was also involved in the "European Centre for Emerging Materials and Processes Dresden (ECEMP)" established as an excellence cluster within the Excellence Initiative of the Free State of Saxony.

In addition, groups of the IPF cooperate(d) in DFG Collaborative Research Centres (SFB) and a DFG Research Unit:

• SFB Transregio 127 "Biologie der xenogenen Zell-, Gewebe- und Organtransplantation - von der Grundlagenforschung zur klinischen Anwendung" (2021-2024)
• SFB Transregio 280 "Konstruktionsstrategien für materialminimierte Carbonbetonstrukturen" (2020-2024)
• SFB Transregio 67 "Functional biomaterials for controlling healing processes in bone and skin – from material science to clinical application" (2009-2021)
• SFB Transregio 79 "Materials for tissue regeneration in systemically ill bones" (2010-2019)
• Graduate School 1865 "Hydrogel-based microsystems"(2013-2022)
• Graduate School 2430 "Interactive Fiber Rubber Composites" (since 2018-2022)
• Graduate School 2250 "Building constructions' impact safety using mineral-bound composites" (2017-2020)
• SFB 639 „"Textile-reinforced composite components for function-integrating multi-material design in complex lightweight applications"“ (till 2016)
• SFB 655 „"From cells into tissues: Stem cell and progenitor commitment and interaction during tissue formation"“ (till 2017)
• Research Unit 597 "Fracture mechanics and statistical mechanics of reinforced elastomeric blends"(till 2012)

Competence and capacity in materials science in Dresden is merged in the  Materials Research Network Dresden (MFD) to which institutes/chairs of the university and nine non-university institutes are affiliated. Since 2016, the MFD is an associate partner in the scientific area Materials and Structures of DRESDEN-concept.