The Laboratory has been closely following the footsteps of international frontier disciplines to enhance its basic research ability and scientific research innovation in response to the National Strategic Needs in Smart Manufacturing for Sustainable Development of Chemical Process. Application of smart and optimized manufacturing in energy and chemical processes is its research focus. From the perspectives of Demand-Driven Agile Supply Chain, Optimization of the Entire Production Process, and Green Production and Safety and Environment Management, the Laboratory has been carrying out research on basic theories and methods of smart manufacturing. It serves the economic construction and social development of our country and the industry through application demos and industrial adoptions in typical processes such as petrochemical, coal-based chemical, cement, and steel. As a result, it also has developed a large number of young talents in smart manufacturing.

In the past five years, the Laboratory has undertaken a total of 452 research programs with a total funding of 503 million yuan. Among them, Laboratory has supervised over 115 national scientific research programs, including 1 Basic Science Center program of National Natural Science Foundation of China, 2 Outstanding Young Talent Science Funds, 4 Major Projects of National Natural Science Foundation, 5 Key Projects of National Natural Science Foundation, 1 Emergency Management Project, 2 National Excellent Youth Fund Projects, 1 International (Regional) Cooperation and Exchange Project, 1 Sino-German Science Center Collaboration Project, 1 Overseas, Hong Kong and Macao Scholars' Collaboration Research Fund Project, 45 Surface Projects of National Natural Science Foundation, 31 Youth Talent Projects of National Natural Science Foundation, and 2 National 973 Program Projects, 1 National Science and Technology Support Program Project, 14 National Key R&D Program Projects/Collaboration Projects, and 5 National High-level Talent Program Projects. In addition, it has undertaken 157 provincial and ministerial-level, Ministry of Education, and Shanghai government level research projects, 56 scientific and technological research projects affiliated to Sinopec, PetroChina and its subsidiaries, and 124 other enterprise-level collaboration projects.