The IPOE has more than 20 faculty members, including one academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, two recipients of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, and one appointee of Changjiang Distinguished Professorship of the Ministry of Education. Moreover, the staff has received over 20 national, provincial, and ministerial talents projects, including the National Young Talents programs, Young Elite Scientist Sponsorship Program by the China Association for Science and Technology, New Century Excellent Talents in University of Ministry of Education, Leading Talents of Shanghai Municipal, Shanghai Outstanding Academic Leaders, “Dawn” Program of Shanghai Education Commission, Shanghai Science and Technology Youth Rising Star, and Shanghai Super Postdoctoral Program, teaming up with a reasonable age structure and complementary expertise. Accordingly, the IPOE has been registered as the supporting institution of the Science Fund for Creative Research Groups of the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Adhering to the “Four Orientations” as our missions in scientific research, the IPOE has established the following four characteristic research directions: X-ray devices and systems, high-power laser coating and applications, optical nanometrology and measurement, as well as micro-nano optics and intelligent sensing. A high-level research platform has been constructed, with a total expense of nearly 200 million Chinese Yuan on high-end instruments and more than 5,000 square meters of space for research activities and administration. Taking the ownership of the challenge to overcome cutting-edge scientific problems and targeting breakthroughs on core technologies, the IPOE has progressively forged a path that combines theoretical research and simulations, solutions to scientific problems and key technological breakthroughs, as well as scientific research and important applications. The institute has undertaken and accomplished several significant national scientific research projects. In addition, it has won the State Technological Invention Award twice, China Patent Award Gold Medal once, and the second and upper-level awards at the provincial and ministerial level five times. The IPOE has become an important center for high-level talent cultivation and advanced scientific research.

The IPOE has been active in academic exchanges both locally and internationally, undertaking several key collaboration projects and hosting several academic conferences. Each year, the IPOE offers teachers, postdoctoral students, doctoral, and master students the opportunities to visit their research counterparts globally, thereby promoting academic exchanges and collaborations. Meanwhile, the IPOE also invites well-known worldwide experts and scholars to present lectures. The influence of IPOE has been increasing steadily.

After two decades of endeavors, by maintaining “loyalty, excellence, innovation, and synergy” while working hard and forging ahead, the IPOE has evolved to be a significant institution with many core specialties. Meanwhile, we will grasp the opportunities presented by the country's “14th Five-Year Plan”, which reaffirms our determination to advance with the times, make the security of people our ultimate goal, dedicate ourselves to work, scale new heights, and consider our unique potentials for developing strengths beyond our core specialties.