Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry
Profile
| Official Chinese name | 中国科学院长春应用化学研究所 |
|---|---|
| Official English name | Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences |
| Chinese aliases | 东北工业研究所 |
| English aliases | Northeast Industrial Research Institute |
| Acronyms | CIAC |
| Research fields | Polymer materials, rare earth materials, electrochemical analytical instrumentation |
| Total employee count | 881 (as of the end of 2024) |
Summary
Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry is categorised as a Core Defence Partner based on the following indicators:
- Defence advisor
- 1 indicators
- Defence award
- 2 indicators
- Defence funding
- 4 indicators
- Defence laboratory
- 2 indicators
- Military-technology patent
- 2 indicators
- Research collaboration with defence entities
- 4 indicators
A core defence partner is deeply involved in research and programmes that strengthen and sustain China’s defence capabilities. Senior figures may help steer national defence research priorities; many of its researchers and projects have recently been recognised for addressing defence needs; a significant body of current work is sponsored by defence organisations; it runs laboratories aligned with military objectives; produces a large number of defence-related patents in recent years; and/or publishes extensively and regularly with defence institutions. Together, these patterns show that defence work is routine, largescale and built into the institute’s operations and identity.
Rules-based framework
| Rule | Resulting category |
|---|---|
| Two or more indicators = 4 | Core defence partner |
| One indicator = 4 and two indicators = 3 or Three or more indicators = 3 | Regular defence partner |
| One indicator = 4 and one indicator = 3 and all other indicators = 1 or 2 or Two indicators = 3 and all other indicators = 1 or 2 | Limited defence partner |
| All indicators between 0 and 2 | Civilian institute |
| Three or more indicators = 0 | Insufficient data |
Note: All indicators operate on a 0 to 4 scale. There are a total of six indicators.
For more information on the graded scales see the user guide.
Defence advisory roles
Members of the leadership of the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry have probably not served on any defence-related expert committees. However, because the underlying data are outdated and incomplete, this assessment is made with medium confidence. Such service by members not surveyed, or after 2023, cannot be fully ruled out.
Defence awards
Available information indicates that researchers from the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry have received at least four separate defence awards over time. These were four instances of the National Defence Science and Technology Progress Award.[1]
Two of the four awards, granted in 2012 and 2019, were confirmed to have been awarded while the researchers were employed at the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry.[2] While the date is not known for the third award,[3] the recipient earned their PhD at the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry and has remained at the institute since graduation, indicating that the award can be connected to their work there.[4] While further analysis found two separate mentions of the fourth defence award, dates could not be verified. Because of unclear data,[5] our analysis was unable to confirm whether there were two separate awards or just one, and as a result it was counted as one award.
The identified awards were granted between 2009 and 2019. While this indicates that the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry has a long history of recognition in defence science and technology circles, it has not received any defence awards for its more recent research.
While researchers and projects linked to the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry received at least two defence awards before 2021, no awards are likely to have been received in recent years. However, because available sources lack detail, our analysis was unable to confirm with certainty that awards were directly tied to work conducted at the institute. The assessment is therefore made with medium confidence. Additional awards, whether granted to the institute, to researchers prior to their affiliation or awarded more recently, cannot be fully ruled out due to missing or incomplete data.
Defence funding
Between 2021 and 2025, researchers from the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry authored 55 publications funded by Chinese defence entities, placing the institute in the 69th percentile among the CAS institutes included in this analysis. Of the 3,554 authors affiliated with the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry who published during this period, 93 (3 per cent) had at least one defence-funded publication. However, it is not possible to attribute specific funding to individual researchers based solely on publication data.
Defence laboratories
No publicly available information suggests that this institute hosts or is affiliated with any known defence laboratories. However, two laboratories, not categorised as defence laboratories, referenced links to defence activities on their Chinese‑language website. General references to promoting national security or defence are common on CAS laboratory websites. These statements often serve as broad affirmations of alignment with national policy objectives—a routine expression of support for government priorities that can be important for maintaining institutional standing, access to funding or official recognition—rather than firm evidence that the laboratory conducts defence-related research.
State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization
| Name | State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization [稀土资源利用国家重点实验室] |
|---|---|
| Research topics | Rare earth theory, functional materials, separation and biology |
| Defence ties | According to its website, this laboratory has won a National Defence Science and Technology Progress Award.[6] |
State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry
| Name | State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry [高分子物理与化学国家重点实验室] |
|---|---|
| Research topics | High performance of polymers, molecular engineering of functional polymers |
| Defence ties | The laboratory’s website notes the importance of polymer materials for national security.[7] |
Military-technology patents
Between 2021 and 2025, the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry was granted one military technology patent, placing it in the 39th percentile among the CAS institutes included in this analysis. A total of four inventors affiliated with the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry were listed on these patents.
Research collaboration with defence entities
Between 2021 and 2025, researchers from the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry co-authored 770 publications with at least one Chinese defence entity, placing the institute in the 84th percentile among the CAS institutes included in this analysis.
These collaborations include 10 publications with PLA academic institutions, 42 with defence laboratories, 278 with military hospitals, 214 with members of the Seven Sons of National Defence, 280 with members of the Seven Sons of Ordnance Industry and 4 with defence conglomerates.
Of the 3,554 authors affiliated with the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry who published during this period, 915 (26 per cent) had at least one defence-related collaboration.
Return to directoryNotes
All cited web content was viewed at its original website location; however, to ensure ongoing accessibility we are providing links to Internet Archive versions here.
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry. 2022. 'Researcher: Zou Binglin.' [研究员：邹兵林]. As of 6 April 2026.Return to content⤴ Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry. 2023. 'Researcher: Xie Feng.' [研究员：叶峰]. As of 6 April 2026. Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry. 2022. 'Researcher: Xun Yan.' [研究员：郇彦]. As of 6 April 2026. Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry. 2012. 'The Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry achieved a bumper harvest of scientific research results in 2011.' [长春应化所2011年度科研成果喜获丰收]. 10 February. As of 6 April 2026. Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry. 2009. 'The State Key Laboratory for Rare Earth Resource Utilization (under construction) continues to make new contributions to the country.' [稀土资源利用国家重点实验室（筹）不断为国家做出新贡献]. 10 September. As of 6 April 2026.
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry. 2022. 'Researcher: Zou Binglin.' [研究员：邹兵林]. As of 6 April 2026.Return to content⤴ Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry. 2023. 'Researcher: Xie Feng.' [研究员：叶峰]. As of 6 April 2026.
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry. 2022. 'Researcher: Xun Yan.' [研究员：郇彦]. As of 6 April 2026.Return to content⤴
- High-Performance Elastomer Composite Materials Group. 'Researcher: Xun Yan.' [研究员：郇彦]. As of 6 April 2026.Return to content⤴
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry. 2012. 'The Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry achieved a bumper harvest of scientific research results in 2011.' [长春应化所2011年度科研成果喜获丰收]. 10 February. As of 6 April 2026.Return to content⤴ Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry. 2009. 'The State Key Laboratory for Rare Earth Resource Utilization (under construction) continues to make new contributions to the country.' [稀土资源利用国家重点实验室（筹）不断为国家做出新贡献]. 10 September. As of 6 April 2026.
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization. 2025. 'Laboratory Profile.' [实验室简介]. As of 26 November 2025. This source was no longer publicly available when the research team archived sources.Return to content⤴
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry. 2010. 'Overall Positioning.' [总体定位]. 24 November. As of 26 November 2025. This source was no longer publicly available when the research team archived sources.Return to content⤴