He studied chemistry at the Technical University of Munich from 1976 to 1982, receiving his diploma in 1982 with the thesis "Synthesis of anionic carbyne complexes", in the group of Professor Dr. E.O. Fischer.
In 1984 he completed his dissertation "New pathways of synthesis of anionic ketene- and carbyne complexes of 16 Group elements through neutral substituted carbyne-carbonyl complexes" also in the group of Professor Dr. E.O. Fischer at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Technical University of Munich.
In 1992 he was postdoctoral lecture qualification in chemistry in the group of Professor Dr. W.A. Herrmann, Technical University of Munich, thesis: "Metal centerad coupling reactions of C1 ligands".
In 1992 he was temporary supervisor of the research group of Professor M.L.H. Green in Oxford, starting December 1992 Fellow of St. Matthews College, Oxford.
In 1993 he became professor (C3) of Inorganic Chemistry at the Humboldt-University of Berlin and in 2005 he became professor (W3) of Inorganic Chemistry at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitaet Bonn.
Filippou has made a significant contribution in the research of heavier homologues of carbon (Si, Ge, Sn, Pb) regarding the ability to form a triple bond to a metal.