The Institute of Natural Fibers has been established in 1930 in Vilnius, which belonged to Polish territory before II World War. Due to the warfare and changes of country borders, the Institute has been moved to Poznan. In 2009 was merged with Institute of Herbal Plants and Preparations creating The Institute of Natural Fibers and Medicinal Plants National Research Institute. Currently, the Institute is an interdisciplinary research and development unit dealing with comprehensive research on the cultivation of fax, hemp, medicinal plants and sericulture acquisition as well as processing of natural fibers including vegetable and animal fibrous raw materials and herbs.

The Institute carries out a number of national and international research projects based on multidirectional cooperation addressed the needs of agriculture, textiles, construction, transport, food industry, pharmacy, medicine and environmental protection. The Institute covers scientific activity of Departments:  Innovative Textile Technologies, Engineering of Bioproduct, Bioeconomy, Biotechnology, Breeding and Agriscience of Fibrous and Energetic Plants,  Pharmacology and Phytochemistry, Breeding and Botany of Utility Plants, Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine. At INF&MP there are two Accredited Laboratories: Flammability and Textile Laboratory (Polish Center Accreditation No. AB 225) for evaluation of raw materials, textiles and other products.

Researchers conduct study on development of new agro-technics, procedures, methods and technologies, which are in-line with EU Green Deal strategy including sustainable natural resources and raw material use, zero waste, decarbonization, circularity of bioeconomy, bioproducts development and others. The conducted research is addressed human-ecology and development of bio-products based on medicinal plants and fibrous materials to improve human health and quality of life. Department of Innovative Textile Technologies and its Laboratory of Physiological Influence of Clothing on Human Body are working on development of new functional textiles based on inherent natural fibers properties and herbal extracts and exploration of the physiological impact of fibers, textile materials and clothing on human physiology.

In terms of fibrous plants, Institute is focused on holistic approach flax/linen and hemp, from seeds, plant cultivation through biomass processing to deliver high quality of raw materials up to bio-product development and its circularity to ensure wasteless technologies.

The Institute also works on the revitalization of areas contaminated by the industry for the cultivation of non-consumable crops, the use of by-products generated during the processing of textile raw materials and modern composites based on textile raw materials.

IWNiRZ PIB has significant experience in realization of research projects within EU frame programmes: 5FP, 6FP, 7FP and H2020. Results of work have been described in enormous number of articles published in indexed international scientific journals. Institute is owner of a hundred patented inventions protected according to IPR, has been organizer and co-organizer of many national and international conferences, including World Conference of The Textile Institute in 2016.