The Laboratory has long been aiming at the frontiers of international research and serving the country, regions, and industries' needs to develop high-end smart and green manufacturing technologies. The Laboratory has focused on studying fundamental theories and applied technologies for the energy and chemical industry to promote operation optimization and system integration levels for production and management. There are five research areas with characteristics and advantages of the Laboratory: Smart Hybrid Modeling and Digital Twin System, Smart Autonomous Control and Full Process Operation Optimization, Planning and Scheduling System Optimization and Smart Decision-making, Smart Perception and Network System Cooperative Control, and Safety Environment Footprint Monitoring and Traceability Diagnosis, which are closely linked and mutually supportive. Through innovative research in these research directions, the Laboratory has made significant breakthroughs in some primary research fields and obtained a number of landmark application research results and core patented technologies. Most of them have produced significant economic and social benefits and have been providing support for the smart manufacturing of large-scale petroleum and chemical processes.

The Laboratory has undertaken more than 420 national, provincial, ministerial, and enterprise-level scientific and technological research projects in the past five years. The research results have been comprehensively promoted and applied in domestic petrochemical industries such as ethylene, PTA, oil refining, biological fermentation, styrene, polyolefin, polyester, cement, and coal chemical industry.