The history of the Institute of Polymers dates back to 1960 when a section Macromolecular Chemistry was established at the Institute of Organic Chemistry. Prof. Ivan Panayotov was appointed as a head of this section. The intensive and fruitful research of the team, the international recognition and the joint scientific projects with renowned foreign institutes led to the creation of an independent scientific unit named Central Laboratory of Polymers (1973), with director Prof. Marin Mihailov. In 1989 Prof. Ivan Schopov was elected as a director of this Laboratory. On March 1-st, 1990 the Central Laboratory of Polymers received the status of an institute by Order No. 12/09.03.1990 of the Bureau of the Council of Ministers. Over the years, the positon of director has been occupied by Prof. DSc. Kolyo Troev (2003 – 2011), Prof. Dr. Neli Koseva (2012 – 2020) and Prof. DSc. Petar Petrov (2020 – present).
From the very beginning, the research activity of the staff was directed to the most relevant fields of polymer science at that time, which were also of interest to the Bulgarian industry. The scientific contributions in the period from the 1960s to the end of the 1990s are fundamental for the Bulgarian polymer science, and some of the developments find application in a number of industrial enterprises. Along with the establishment of research schools, the leading scientists of the IP-BAS introduced and developed educational courses in a number of Bulgarian universities – Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Plovdiv University “Paisiy Hilendarski”, Southwest University in Blagoevgrad, Shoumen University “Bishop Konstantin Preslavski” and University “Prof. Dr. Asen Zlatarov” – Burgas. In the last 20 years, IP-BAS has undoubtedly established as the leading scientific research organization for polymer science in Bulgaria, with high scientific potential and modern scientific equipment. The focus of scientific research was gradually shifted from classic polymers and polymer materials (plastics, rubbers, resins, etc.) to novel polymers and advanced materials (biopolymers, intelligent and high-tech polymers, polymers from renewable sources, micro- and nanomaterials, nanocomposites and others). Research is increasingly becoming interdisciplinary, and the results contribute to the development of a number of fields such as medicine, pharmacy, biotechnology, green technology, food industry, new energy systems, etc.
Since 2009, IP-BAS has been organizing an annual scientific session “Young Scientists in the World of Polymers”. This forum is an excellent opportunity for young researchers to exchange experiences and knowledge with colleagues of their age in the field of polymer science. The best performing participants are encouraged with a certificate and a cash prize. Another important scientific forum, which is traditionally organized with the active participation of IP-BAS, is the National Symposium “POLYMERS”.