A process for making a polyamide polymer, said process comprising heating, in one or more ionic liquid(s), one or more polyamide precursor(s) selected from: (i) one or more free dicarboxylic acid(s) or ester(s) thereof, with one or more diamine(s); or (ii) one or more salt(s) of a dicarboxylic acid with a diamine; or (iii) one or more lactam(s); or (iv) mixtures of any of the foregoing precursors (i) to (iii).