Oriented towards international frontiers and major national needs, the Center leverages platforms such as the State Key Laboratory of Photonic Transmission and Communication to conduct fundamental and applied research in optoelectronic integration and optical communications. It is dedicated to cultivating innovative talents and providing pioneering technologies for various fields, including optical interconnects, optical transmission, optical switching, optical computing, optical sensing, optical signal processing, the national time-frequency system, navigation and positioning, 5G/6G wireless communications, fundamental research, distributed collaboration, and spatiotemporal intelligence.

The Center currently comprises 9 faculty members, 3 postdoctoral researchers, and 3 administrative staff. Among the faculty are a Chief Scientist of the National 973 Program (1), a Changjiang Scholar Chair Professor (1), recipients of national-level distinguished young talent programs (5 person-times), a Royal Society Newton Advanced Fellow (1 person-time), and a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow (1). In recent years, the Center has undertaken a series of fundamental and applied research projects funded by the National 973 Program/Key R&D Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Shanghai Municipal Government, and industry partners. Research findings have been published in leading international journals in optoelectronics and optical communications, such as Nature Communications, Light: Science & Applications, Optica, and PhotoniX. The Center has consistently published Postdeadline Papers (PDP) at the premier conferences OFC, ECOC, and CLEO for four consecutive years. It holds over 100 invention patents granted in China, the US, and Europe. The Center has received numerous accolades, including the National Teaching Achievement Award, Ministry of Education Science and Technology Progress/Technology Invention Awards, Shanghai Science and Technology Progress/Technology Invention Awards, and awards from the China Electronics Society. Several achievements have been selected for China's Top 10 Optical Breakthroughs, won the First Prize in the "Yuanchuang Cup" Innovation and Creativity Competition, the China Industry-University-Research Collaboration Award, the Excellent Product Award at the China International High-Tech Achievements Fair, the Outstanding Exhibit Award in the University Section of the China International Industry Fair, and the Triennial Outstanding Achievement Award in Silicon Photonics from the Chinese Society for Optical Engineering.

The Center currently has nearly 80 doctoral and master's students. Through careful faculty supervision, a harmonious academic atmosphere, and excellent experimental conditions, the Center has cultivated successive cohorts of outstanding students with solid academic foundations and exceptional innovative capabilities. Students consistently receive honors in domestic and international academic activities each year, such as the OFC Corning Outstanding Student Paper Award, OFC Top-Scored Paper, Humboldt Research Fellowship, National Silver Medal in the National Postdoctoral Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, and the Outstanding Award in the National Finals of the National Optics and Optical Engineering Doctoral Academic League. A number of students have been honored with Shanghai Outstanding Doctoral/Master's Theses and Shanghai Outstanding Graduate awards. Upon graduation, students have pursued careers at top-tier domestic universities, institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, as well as leading technology groups and enterprises such as China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC), Huawei, ZTE, Tencent, and Alibaba. Notably, some alumni have received prestigious national awards like the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, and have advanced to positions such as Dean and Party Secretary of schools, or have been honored with titles like the Shanghai Pudong New Area "Pearl Engineer."

In response to the national call, the Center actively promotes the transformation of technological achievements. The established Shanghai Jiao Tong University Pinghu Intelligent Optoelectronics Research Institute has gained national and international recognition. While facilitating the industrialization of a range of research outcomes, the institute also provides an excellent practical platform for enhancing students' innovation and entrepreneurship capabilities.