Institute of High Pressure Physics (IHPP), also known as "Unipress", was founded in 1972 by Polish Academy of Sciences.

The Institute is directed by Prof.

Izabella Grzegory.

For the outline of Unipress history please see "history of Unipress" page.

Although the original focus of Unipress was on high-pressure studies of semiconductors, the present field of research activities also covers ceramics, HTc superconductors biological materials (high-pressure studies of protein folding, and high pressure food processing) and the plasticity of metals (hydroextrusion).

The common axis of these studies is the use of high pressure, both as a research tool (a perturbation like temperature or magnetic field) and also as a technological method (high-pressure sintering, high-pressure growth of crystals).

Nanotechnology is a keyword of a modern physics and material sciences.

Unipress is involved in nano-studies not only by exploring classical low-dimensional systems like quantum wells and quantum dots but also by working intensively on materials composed of nanograins such as nanoceramics and nanopowders.

High-pressure technology plays very important role in the process of sintering of nanopowders, enabling better control of grain size and uniformity, thus leading to the creation of a new generation of advanced materials.