The Research Institute of Sports Materials at East China University of Science and Technology, affiliated with the School of Sports Science and Engineering, stand as the nation's first institution dedicated to advancing the development of sports materials, integrating strengths from industry, academia and research to specialise in the research and development of new materials for sporting applications. Guided by the principle of ‘driving technological progress through independent innovation to serve China's sports materials industry’. Aligned with the trajectory of the sports industry and attuned to the pulse of the sports materials field, it has undertaken extensive applied research into sports materials technologies. The institute collaborates with numerous enterprises within the sports industry, undertaking tasks including production technology enhancement, new product development, talent cultivation, and skills training, thereby fully leveraging the complementary strengths of both parties. The institute aims to establish itself as a renowned research institution in this field within a few years, becoming a centre of excellence at both the Shanghai municipal and national levels. It seeks to obtain accreditation for t
The institution's research and development team is stable, emphasising teamwork and innovation, with a multidisciplinary approach. Its expertise spans materials science, polymer physics and chemistry, chemical engineering, and other related fields. In recent years, as the project undertaking unit, the institution has successively undertaken or completed numerous projects including: the General Administration of Sport of China's ‘Research and Development of Sports Training Equipment and Materials’ project, the Administrative Centre of Shanghai R&D Public Service Platform’s construction special project, the Shanghai Natural Science Foundation project, and the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality's ‘Science and Technology Rising Star’ project. The institution has published over 80 papers, applied for more than 20 patents, developed four complete sets of industrialisation technologies for sports materials, and established multiple key technologies in the design, development, and preparation of sports materials. In the realm of teaching and talent cultivation, to foster high-calibre professionals in the research and development of new materials and equipment for sports, the institution obtained approval from the Ministry of Education in 2009 to establish a secondary doctoral programme in ‘Sports Materials’ under the primary doctoral discipline of Materials Science and Engineering. Comprehensive research and teaching activities related to this specialised discipline have since been undertaken, cumulatively training eight doctoral candidates and over forty master's students. Currently, the institution serves as the host organisation for the ‘Shanghai Sports Equipment Technical Service Platform’, approved by the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality. It possesses a comprehensive range of advanced material processing and testing equipment and instruments.
esting or certifying sports equipment and facilities in China, across Asia, and internationally.