Institute of Process Engineering
Profile
| Official Chinese name | 中国科学院过程工程研究所 |
|---|---|
| Official English name | Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences |
| Chinese aliases | 化工冶金研究所 |
| English aliases | Institute of Chemical Metallurgy |
| Acronyms | IPE |
| Research fields | Low‑carbon energy, strategic resources, green chemicals, high‑end materials, biomedicine |
| Total employee count | Over 2,000 (as of 24 November 2025) |
Summary
Institute of Process Engineering is categorised as a Regular Defence Partner based on the following indicators:
- Defence advisor
- 1 indicators
- Defence award
- 1 indicators
- Defence funding
- 3 indicators
- Defence laboratory
- 3 indicators
- Military-technology patent
- 1 indicators
- Research collaboration with defence entities
- 3 indicators
A regular defence partner frequently contributes to the development of China’s defence capabilities. Evidence indicates participation by multiple researchers in defence-related activities, with such activities occurring at consistent intervals and continuing in recent years. While engagement may be limited in scale or scope, its continuity suggests an established pattern of defence collaboration rather than isolated involvement
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 Institute of Process Engineering served on defence-related expert committees. However, because the underlying data is outdated and lacks sufficient detail, this assessment is made with medium confidence, and such service cannot be fully ruled out.
Defence awards
Available information indicates that one researcher from the Institute of Process Engineering has received a defence award: a National Defence Science and Technology Progress Award.[1]
The date of this award is not known. Although the researcher spent a majority of their career at the Institute of Process Engineering, significant periods were spent at other institutes, notably at a predecessor institute.[2] As such, our analysis cannot confidently confirm that this award was granted in connection to research at the Institute of Process Engineering. Furthermore, because the researcher passed away in 2019,[3] even if the award was granted in the latter part of their career, it would not indicate recent defence-related recognition for the institute.
Researchers and projects affiliated with the Institute of Process Engineering received any defence awards. However, incomplete data and insufficient source detail prevent confirmation of whether awards were received during employment at the institute. This assessment is therefore made with medium confidence. Awards granted to individuals not surveyed, or awards received prior to their affiliation or more recently, cannot be fully ruled out.
Defence funding
Between 2021 and 2025, researchers from the Institute of Process Engineering authored 24 publications funded by Chinese defence entities, placing the institute in the 45th percentile among the CAS institutes included in this analysis. Of the 3,315 authors affiliated with the Institute of Process Engineering who published during this period, 38 (1 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, one laboratory, not categorised as a defence laboratory, referenced links to defence activities on its 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.
Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering
| Name | Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering [绿色过程与工程重点实验室] |
|---|---|
| Research topics | Green chemistry and engineering, green process system integration |
| Defence ties | According to its website, this laboratory conducts research into the 'efficient transformation and utilisation of national defence strategic materials'.[4] |
Military-technology patents
Between 2021 and 2025, the Institute of Process Engineering was not granted any military-technology patents. This places it at the very bottom (0th percentile) among the CAS institutes included in this analysis. No inventors from the Institute of Process Engineering were listed on any military-technology patents during this period.
Research collaboration with defence entities
Between 2021 and 2025, researchers from the Institute of Process Engineering co-authored 337 publications with at least one Chinese defence entity, placing the institute in the 51st percentile among the CAS institutes included in this analysis.
These collaborations include 8 publications with PLA academic institutions, 101 with defence laboratories, 9 with military hospitals, 207 with members of the Seven Sons of National Defence, 105 with members of the Seven Sons of Ordnance Industry and 10 with defence conglomerates.
Of the 3,315 authors affiliated with the Institute of Process Engineering who published during this period, 487 (15 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.
- Institute of Process Engineering. 2019. 'A farewell ceremony for Academician Chen Jiayong was held in Beijing' [陈家镛院士遗体告别仪式在京举行]. 1 September. As of 7 April 2026.Return to content⤴
- Institute of Process Engineering. 2019. 'A farewell ceremony for Academician Chen Jiayong was held in Beijing' [陈家镛院士遗体告别仪式在京举行]. 1 September. As of 7 April 2026.Return to content⤴
- Institute of Process Engineering. 2019. 'A farewell ceremony for Academician Chen Jiayong was held in Beijing' [陈家镛院士遗体告别仪式在京举行]. 1 September. As of 7 April 2026.Return to content⤴
- Institute of Process Engineering. 2021. 'Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences' [中国科学院绿色过程与工程重点实验室] 30 April. As of 8 April 2026.Return to content⤴