Shanghai Institute of Ceramics
Profile
| Official Chinese name | 中国科学院上海硅酸盐研究所 |
|---|---|
| Official English name | Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences |
| Chinese aliases | 上海硅酸盐所, 中国科学院硅酸盐化学与工学研究所, 国立中央研究院工程研究所 |
| English aliases | Engineering Institute of National Central Academy, Institute of Metallurgy and Ceramics, Shanghai Institute of Ceramic Chemistry and Technology |
| Acronyms | SICCAS |
| Research fields | High-performance structural ceramics, functional ceramics, transparent ceramics, ceramic-based composites, artificial crystals, special glasses, inorganic coatings, energy materials, biomaterials, ancient ceramics, advanced inorganic materials performance testing and characterisation |
| Total employee count | 769 (as of 24 November 2025) |
Summary
Shanghai Institute of Ceramics is categorised as a Core Defence Partner based on the following indicators:
- Defence advisor
- 4 indicator
- Defence award
- 2 indicators
- Defence funding
- 4 indicators
- Defence laboratory
- 4 indicators
- Military-technology patent
- 2 indicators
- Research collaboration with defence entities
- 3 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
One member of the leadership of the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics is a member of an expert committee for the National Key Research and Development Programme's key special project on 'new rare earth materials' under the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025). Established in 2016, the National Key Research and Development Programme is one of China's main government schemes for research-funding, created to consolidate earlier programmes and to steer funding towards priority technological goals. The project on new rare earth materials, overseen by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, supports research to meet critical material needs for next-generation information technology, aerospace, advanced rail transit, energy-saving and new energy vehicles, high-end medical equipment, and advanced manufacturing.[1] Many projects in this area have clear dual-use potential, serving both civilian and defence needs. For example, in 2021, a project on 'novel rare-earth based multilayer impedance-graded broadband absorbing composite materials' was commissioned to meet aerospace and defence industry demand for broadband absorbers.[2]
Other members of the institute's leadership team have probably not served on defence-related expert committees. While information on relevant staff is available and current, it lacks sufficient detail to rule out all potential ties. This assessment is therefore made with medium confidence.
Defence awards
Available information indicated that researchers affiliated with the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics have received at least 11 separate defence awards over time. These include three Science and Technology Progress Awards granted by the General Armaments Department of the PLA, five Military Science and Technology Progress Awards, one title of Advanced Individual in Defence Science and Technology Industry Collaboration and Support, and two winners of the 'Pioneering Cup' at the Future Technology Innovation Competition.[3]
Dates are known for seven of the 11 defence awards, confirming their connection to research at the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics. Dates are not known for the remaining four - two of the General Armaments Department Awards, one Military Science and Technology Progress Award, and the Advanced Individual title.[4] Further analysis of available data found that while recipients had all spent significant time at the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, they had each also worked at other institutions for at least a few years of their career.[5] Our analysis was therefore unable to confidently connect these four awards to work conducted at the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics.
Of the seven awards identified as connected to the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, the dates granted range from 2009 to 2022. However, only one of the awards - the 2022 Pioneering Cup[6] - has been granted in recent years.
Researchers and projects at the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics have probably received only one defence award since 2021. However, because the underlying data are outdated and incomplete, this assessment is made with medium confidence. This indicates that awards granted to individuals not surveyed or in recent years cannot be ruled out.
Defence funding
Between 2021 and 2025, researchers from the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics authored 68 publications funded by Chinese defence entities, placing the institute in the 76th percentile among the CAS institutes included in this analysis. Of the 2,900 authors affiliated with the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics who published during this period, 121 (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
SICCAS hosts a ministerial/provincial-level defence laboratory, the National Key Laboratory of Functional Crystal Materials and Devices [功能晶体与器件全国重点实验室], also referred to as the Ministry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory of Functional Crystal Materials and Devices [功能晶体材料及器件教育部重点实验室]. Ministerial or provincial-level defence laboratories represent the second highest tier in China’s defence laboratory system.
However, the laboratory website classifies it as a national level laboratory, suggesting either that the two are not the same entity, or that the laboratory has updated its classification since it was observed as a ministerial-level defence laboratory. This laboratory is jointly established with the Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter.
Military-technology patents
Between 2021 and 2025, the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics was granted three military-technology patents, placing it in the 51st percentile among the CAS institutes included in this analysis. A total of 20 inventors affiliated with the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics were listed on these patents.
Research collaboration with defence entities
Between 2021 and 2025, researchers from the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics co-authored 413 publications with at least one Chinese defence entity, placing the institute in the 57th percentile among the CAS institutes included in this analysis.
These collaborations include 61 publications with PLA academic institutions, 62 with defence laboratories, 2 with military hospitals, 236 with members of the Seven Sons of National Defence, 146 with members of the Seven Sons of Ordnance Industry and 21 with defence conglomerates.
Of the 2,900 authors affiliated with the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics who published during this period, 497 (17 per cent) had at least one defence-related collaboration.
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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.
- 2026. '"Rare Earth New Materials" Key Project in 2021 Project Application Guide'. As of 5 March 2026.Return to content⤴ Ministry of Industry and Information Technology [工业和信息化部]. 2024. 'Notice from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Issuing the 2024 Project Application Guidelines for 16 Key Special Projects including the National Key R&D Program "High-Performance Manufacturing Technology and Major Equipment".' [工业和信息化部关于发布国家重点研发计划"高性能制造技术与重大装备"等16个重点专项2024年度项目申报指南的通知]. As of 5 March 2026.
- 2026. '"Rare Earth New Materials" Key Project in 2021 Project Application Guide.' As of 5 March 2026.Return to content⤴
- Shanghai Institute of Ceramics. 2023. 'Researcher: Yao Xiumin.' [研究员：姚秀敏]. As of 8 April 2026.Return to content⤴ Shanghai Institute of Ceramics. 2023. 'Researcher: Xu Guisheng.' [研究员：许桂生]. As of 8 April 2026. Shanghai Institute of Ceramics. 2025. 'Liu Guiling.' [刘桂玲]. As of 8 April 2026. Shanghai Institute of Ceramics. 2023. 'Researcher: Yin Jie.' [研究员：殷杰]. As of 8 April 2026. Shanghai Institute of Ceramics. 2023. 'Researcher: Cao Xun.' [研究员：曹逊]. As of 8 April 2026. Shanghai Institute of Ceramics. 2023. 'Researcher: Song Lixin.' [研究员：宋力昕]. As of 8 April 2026. Shanghai Institute of Ceramics. 2023. 'Researcher: Huang Zhengren.' [研究员：黄政仁]. As of 8 April 2026. Shanghai Institute of Ceramics. 2008. 'Research Group Overview.' [课题组概况]. 1 July. As of 8 April 2026. Shanghai Institute of Ceramics. 2017. 'Research Staff: Zhang Jingxian.' [科研人员：张景贤]. As of 8 April 2026. Shanghai Institute of Ceramics. 'Research Group Overview.' [课题组概况]. As of 8 April 2026.
- Shanghai Institute of Ceramics. 2008. 'Research Group Overview.' [课题组概况]. 1 July. As of 8 April 2026.Return to content⤴ Shanghai Institute of Ceramics. 2023. 'Researcher: Song Lixin.' [研究员：宋力昕]. As of 8 April 2026. Shanghai Institute of Ceramics. 2023. 'Researcher: Huang Zhengren.' [研究员：黄政仁]. As of 8 April 2026.
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. 2026. 'Liu Xuechao.' [刘学超]. As of 8 April 2026.Return to content⤴ University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. 'Huang Zhengren.' [黄政仁]. As of 8 April 2026. University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. 'Song Lixin.' [宋力昕]. As of 8 April 2026.
- Shanghai Institute of Ceramics. 2023. 'Researcher: Yin Jie.' [研究员：殷杰]. As of 8 April 2026.Return to content⤴