On the recommendation of the German council of science and Humanities of the Bundesrepublik Deutschland, founded on the 1st January 1992, the INP continued the tradition of the "Zentralinstitutes für Eletronenphysik" (ZIE) of the academy of science. The INP Greifswald studies low temperature plasma for technical usage. The ambition on the one hand is the technological advanced research and on the other the optimization of established methods and products of plasma, as well as the research of new plasma usage.

Currently the biomedical engineering, micro and nano technologies, environment engineering, special plasma sources, shaping and diagnostics take centre stage of interest. In addition to 3700 m² main usable area the INP possess 26 laboratories, a classified clean room, as well as a microbiological laboratory for interdisciplinary research. As a charitable association INP organizes and employs around 140 co-workers at the moment and this is the largest non-academic institution in this special research area in Europe. In 2005 and 2006 the INP was changed into per one company.