上海材料研究所(SRIM)源于1946年成立的"材料性能试验室"，随着新中国工业的崛起和发展得到同步壮大。至20世纪90年代，已成为中国机械工业工程材料技术的核心研发机构。20世纪末，在深化科技体制改革推动下，本该所发展成为上海市新材料高科技企业；上海市工程材料技术骨干研发机构和公正、权威的第三方材料检测机构。
该所以产业发展的重大需求为导向，每年承担和完成一批国家和上海市以及企业委托的新材料科技攻关项目，通过自主创新，在特种金属材料、高分子及其复合材料、工程陶瓷材料、硬质合金及粉末冶金材料以及消能减振材料及技术等工程材料领域，开发了大量的工程新材料及应用的关键技术，为产业竞争力的提升和重大工程建设提供了重要的技术支撑。
该所以市场需求为牵引，建设了多条新材料制品批量生产线，实施精品战略，形成了具有自主知识产权的高技术新材料产品近百种，广泛应用于机械、汽车、航空航天、船舶、信息、建筑等产业及国防建设。一些高端产品已占国内市场主导地位，并参与了国际市场竞争。
该所着力发展工程材料创新开发支撑体系，建设了以材料组成和性能检测、零部件无损质量评定和失效分析为依托的材料技术服务平台和服务链，其检测资质的权威性、检测结果的公正性可靠性、服务面的广泛性以及现代技术服务的深度等均居全国前列。
该所以推进工程材料行业技术进步为己任,已成为汇聚科技资源技术开发组织和中心，如"上海市工程材料应用与评价重点实验室""上海失效分析与安全评估中心""上海市消能减震工程技术研究中心"等的依托单位；一批学术团体和标委会，如中国机械工程学会理化检验分会、无损检测分会和材料分会以及全国无损检测标准化技术委员会等的秘书处挂靠单位；并编辑出版"机械工程材料""理化检验""无损检测"等多种科技期刊。
Shanghai Material Research Institute (SRIM) was founded in 1946 as the "Material Performance Laboratory". With the rise and development of new China's industry, SRIM has grown synchronously. By the 1990s, it has become the core research and development institute of engineering materials technology in China's machinery industry. At the end of the 20th century, driven by deepening the reform of science and technology system, the institute developed into a high-tech enterprise of new materials in Shanghai. Shanghai engineering material technology backbone r & D institutions and fair, authoritative third-party material testing institutions.
The major industrial development demand as the guidance, so every year to undertake and complete a number of national and Shanghai as well as new materials science and technology research projects entrusted by the enterprise, through independent innovation, in special metal materials, high polymer and its composite materials, engineering ceramics, carbide and powder metallurgy materials and energy dissipation damping materials and technology, and other areas of the engineering materials, The company has developed a large number of new engineering materials and key technologies for application, providing important technical support for the improvement of industrial competitiveness and the construction of major projects.
The market demand for traction, the construction of a number of new material products batch production lines, the implementation of high-quality strategy, the formation of independent intellectual property rights of high-tech new material products nearly 100, widely used in machinery, automotive, aerospace, shipbuilding, information, construction and other industries and national defense construction. Some high-end products have dominated the domestic market and competed in the international market.
Which focus on development of engineering materials supporting system for the development of innovation, the construction of the material composition and performance testing, parts nondestructive quality evaluation and failure analysis for the material technology service platform and service chain, relying on the testing results of the inspection certificate authority, reliability, service integrity the universality and the depth of the modern technology service are ranked among the top nationwide.
It has become the supporting unit of "Shanghai Key Laboratory of Engineering Materials Application and Evaluation", "Shanghai Failure Analysis and Safety Evaluation Center", "Shanghai Energy Dissipation Engineering Technology Research Center", etc. A number of academic groups and standard committees, such as physical and chemical Testing Branch of Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society, nondestructive Testing Branch and Material Branch, as well as the secretariat of the National Nondestructive Testing Standardization Technical Committee; And edited and published "mechanical engineering materials", "physical and chemical testing", "nondestructive testing" and other scientific and technological periodicals.