The National Engineering Research Center of Optical Instruments was authorized for establishment by the State Ministry of Science and Technology in 1994 and accepted in 1998. For all these years, thanks to the comprehensive hi-tech R & D power of Zhejiang University, the center has made great achievements in optical engineering, photoelectron technology, etc., especially in the pivotal and universal technology of optical industrialization. Some projects are up to the international standard and advanced in China. Since the center owns independent intellectual proprietorship, it cooperated with Chinese and foreign companies in the mass production of some products for international and domestic markets. At present, the center has also been involved in technological development, trial production, marketing, and talents training, following the development of international optical instruments. The center now has fixed assets of RMB 20 million, 372 sets of equipment valued at millions in RMB, nearly 10 hectares of land available, and 4000 square meters of floor space. In 1996-2000 its revenue was nearly 400 million.

The center has a director-responsible system under the leadership of the management committee.

Director of the center: Lu Zhukang, Professor of Zhejiang University, standing director of Zhejiang Science Association and China Optical Society, a national-level expert with outstanding achievements.

He is an expert in laser technology, a teacher and researcher in modern optical technology. Being innovative and practical, he has instructed several dozen doctors and masters. As a project leader, he has worked for the National Nature Foundation, State Ministry of Science and Technology, Zhejiang Science Department, etc. In these days, he has won several awards for scientific and technological achievement above provincial and ministerial level, publishing about 30 papers in SCI and EI.

Field of Development:
The major task of the center is to market the research achievements in fields of optical engineering and photoelectron information engineering. The center is aimed at enhancing the technological level of optical information, optical instrument and has made great contributions to China's modernization.

Major Technical Development Field:

1. Digital imagery: CMOS, CCD image sensing and gathering, the data image compressing and decompressing, image and mode recognition, digital camera, automatic focusing, AF-ZOOM lens technology;

2. Digital image output: laser scanning, color digital image enlargement and printing;

3. Intelligent, digitized, high precision photoelectron detection, photoelectron instruments, laser technology, optics quantity detection;

4. Photoelectron and photo-information technology, precise sensor devices, the array devices of photo diode, binary optics technology, optical communications and optical connectors;

5. Optical membrane and devices: the measurement of the optical membrane characteristic, the technology of optical membrane deposit.

Companies under the center:

The subordinated companies of the center include Zhejiang University Photoelectron Technology Development Cooperation, engaged in the research and development of the photoelectron products; Zhejiang University Optical Instrument Factory, engaged in CAD products and teaching instrument, trial of optical instruments; Zhejiang University Futong Instrument Company, engaged in research and development of photoelectron digital image transference, research and fine processing of photoelectric devices; Hangzhou Di'ao Information Technology Company LTD, with a base in Yuhang with the local government, mainly engaged in processing of electric oculars and optical instrument; Zhejiang University Crystal Photoelectron Company, dealing in the processing of special filters and membranes; Yuhang Jincheng Technical Development Company, dealing in the development and industrializing of "laser digital color printing systems". Five projects of the center and the subordinated companies were appraised and approved at provincial and ministerial levels in 2001, with two winning provincial scientific awards.