Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics
Profile
| Official Chinese name | 中国科学院上海应用物理研究所 |
|---|---|
| Official English name | Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences |
| Chinese aliases | 上海应物所, 国科学院上海原子核研究 |
| English aliases | Shanghai Institute of Nuclear Research |
| Acronyms | SINAP |
| Research fields | Thorium-based molten salt reactor (MSR) nuclear energy systems, efficient energy storage and conversion |
| Total employee count | 755 (as of the end of 2023) |
Summary
Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics is categorised as a Limited Defence Partner based on the following indicators:
- Defence advisor
- 1 indicator
- Defence award
- 1 indicators
- Defence funding
- 4 indicators
- Defence laboratory
- 1 indicators
- Military-technology patent
- 1 indicators
- Research collaboration with defence entities
- 3 indicators
A limited defence partner contributes to the development of China’s defence capabilities in ways that are limited in time, frequency, scope or scale. Evidence indicates that participation has either ceased or if it persists, it is narrow in scope, not institutionalised and occurs through isolated or infrequent activities led by individual researchers, rather than through sustained programmes or organisational commitments.
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 Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics 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 However, because the underlying data are outdated and incomplete, this assessment is made with medium confidence.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 and projects at the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics have possibly not received any defence awards to date. However, because the underlying data are outdated and incomplete, this assessment is made with low confidence. Other defence awards granted to researchers or projects from the institute cannot be ruled out.
Defence funding
Between 2021 and 2025, researchers from the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics authored 69 publications funded by Chinese defence entities, placing the institute in the 80th percentile among the CAS institutes included in this analysis. Of the 2,183 authors affiliated with the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics who published during this period, 91 (4 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. The Chinese language laboratory websites do not mention any links or references to defence-related activities.
Military-technology patents
Between 2021 and 2025, the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics 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 Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics were listed on any military-technology patents during this period.
Research collaboration with defence entities
Between 2021 and 2025, researchers from the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics co-authored 239 publications with at least one Chinese defence entity, placing the institute in the 33rd percentile among the CAS institutes included in this analysis.
These collaborations include 14 publications with PLA academic institutions, 47 with defence laboratories, 177 with members of the Seven Sons of National Defence, 69 with members of the Seven Sons of Ordnance Industry and 4 with defence conglomerates.
Of the 2,183 authors affiliated with the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics who published during this period, 251 (11 per cent) had at least one defence-related collaboration.
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