After the First World War in 1920, the Institute of Mechanical Technology II was founded from the initiative of prof. Ryska. It had the task of supplementing the teaching of technological procedures, taught at the Institute of Mechanical Technology I since 1901, with the technological properties of materials (weldability, castability, formability).

In 1921, Ing. Dr. Mont. František Píšek was appointed the extraordinary professor of mechanical technology II who reorganized the study at the institute and expanded it to include lectures and exercises in metallography (school year 1926/27). The institute under the leadership of prof. Píšek developed rapidly and laboratories of metallography, dilatometry, chemical analysis and mechanical tests were gradually established. The institute was mainly focused on the study of the properties of foundry materials (foundry alloys and molding materials).

The institute worked in this form until the universities were closed during the Second World War. After the war, the organizational scheme of Brno technology was restored in its pre-war form, and the reform of university studies in 1945 and 1948 did not bring change either. In 1951, the faculty was transferred to VTA, including both technology institutes. Part of the Institute of Mechanical Technology II was assigned to the College of Civil Engineering as the Department of Foundry.

The activity of the institute was not resumed until 1956, when the Technical University in Brno was established. At the then Faculty of Energy, the Department of Materials Science was established, led by prof. F. Píšek, which took over the traditions and content of the work of the former Institute of Mechanical Technology II. The head of the department was successively held by prof. Osina (1961), prof. Dorazil (1969), prof. Míšek (1989), prof. Ptáček (1991). The department developed successfully and until 1964 provided teaching in the specialization "Shaping".

In 1964, the Department of Forming was established by the delimitation of some laboratories and classrooms of the Department of Material Sciences and the transfer of part of the teaching staff of the Department of Material Sciences. The Department of Material Sciences continued to provide teaching in the specialization "Shaping - Heat Treatment".

In 1985, the laboratories of electron microscopy and X-ray structural analysis were separated from the department and transferred to the SVVÚ (Joint Scientific Research Institute) BUT in Brno, where they created a separate unit called the Instrument Center. This center provided research services for all BUT faculties.

On September 1, 1992, the Institute of Material Engineering was established, which was created from four workplaces of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering: the Department of Materials Science, the Department of Foundry, the Instrument Center and the newly established research center for advanced ceramics. The institute consisted of four departments, which provided teaching in the basic study and in the specializations "Materials engineering and "Foundry" and organically complemented each other in research. These departments were: Material Science, Foundry, Structural and Phase Analysis and the Department of Ceramics. Prof. Švejcar was appointed as the first director of the institute, and then prof. Čech, prof. Ptáček, prof. Cihlář, and prof. Dlouhý took turns as director.

Currently, the institute is called the Institute of Material Sciences and Engineering, the director is assoc. prof. Pantělejev.

The institute continues the traditions of modern approaches to science and pedagogy of prof. Píšek. It carries out extensive teaching activities and is involved in national and international research tasks. An important activity of the institute is cooperation with industry focused on assistance in the field of material sciences and processing technologies. The institute's teachers are members of national and international professional societies.