The research center for information functional materials and devices was established in 2006 which combined the research center for functional ceramics and several research groups of the state key laboratory of high performance ceramics and superfine microstructures. The associate heads of the research center are prof. Xianlin Dong, prof. Wei Chen and prof. Guorong Li. Prof. Yongxiang Li is the secretary of the branch of Chinese Communist Party.

Functional ceramics is one of the main research areas of advanced inorganic material science and engineering of Shanghai Institute of Ceramics. Many researches on high performance ceramics have been carried on since 1960s, including capacitance ceramics, piezoelectric ceramics, ferroelectric ceramics, transparent ceramics, pyroelectric ceramics, semiconductance ceramics, electrostrictive ceramics, induced phase transition ceramics, fast ionic conduct ceramics, cordierite ceramics, superconduct ceramics, microwave dielectric ceramics. Many research achievements have entered international or the domestic front. Over the years totally 38 research achievements were awarded by national, Chinese Academy of Sciences as well as ministries or provinces. Among them, 3 achievements were conferred with National Invention Prize (1 second prize and 2 third prize), 3 with National Prize for Progress in Science and Technology (1 second prize and 2 third prize), 1 with Natural Science Prize of Chinese Academy of Sciences (second prize), 21 with Prize for Progress in Science and Technology of Chinese Academy of Sciences (4 first prize, 13 second prize and 4 third prize), 11 with various ministries or provinces prize. The research center registered 26 patents, among them 14 patents have been licensed. There are 26 projects which are conducted by research groups of the research center so far, including 4 national “863” projects, 1 national key problem tackling projects, 3 projects of the Chinese academy of sciences, 4 projects of the national natural funds, 3 projects of the Shanghai municipal funds, 4 projects of international cooperation, 1 project of enterprise cooperation.

The mission of the research center is to develop new products and batch manufacturing of high performance functional ceramics in recognition of new business development and market demand. The research center put emphasis on correlated fundamental study, development of the key complete techniques, engineering study and demonstrative manufacturing.

Main research areas including:
Science of material processing;
Mechanical properties, electrical properties, acoustic properties, optical properties, thermo properties, magnetic properties, elastic properties and chemical properties of materials, and their coupling effect;
Special new functional ceramics;
Magnetic resistance materials;
Piezoelectric sensors and ceramics actuators;
The engineering and industrialize of functional materials and their applications.

Main research groups:
The group on physics of the functional ceramics materials and devices
The group on Special glass and microwave dielectric
The group on Ferroelectric, piezoelectric ceramics and devices
The group on the techniques and devices of the low temperature co-fired ceramics
The group on new functional ceramics and films