The State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites (SKLMMC), affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, was established in 1988 under the support of the National Planning Committees. The SKLMMC has passed the national assessment in 1991 and officially opened to public in 1992. The current director of the laboratory is Professor Di Zhang, and the director of the academic committee is academician Wenjiang Ding.

The laboratory, aiming at the application and cutting-edge R&D of composite materials, conducts basic and applied research in the fields of metal matrix composites, polymer matrix composites and novel functional composites. For the fundamental researches, key theoretical and principal technical supports are provided. For the application researches, small batches and multi-kinds of materials are fabricated for both fields of great significance and civil application.

There are 152 full-time research staff, including 86 full professors (including full time professor-level senior researchers), 48 associate professors (including senior engineers), among which 137 persons have Ph.D degree. The laboratory has 1 academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, 1 fellow of Royal Academy of Sciences, 12 recipients of National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, 9 Chang Jiang Scholars, 6 recipients of National Science Fund for Outstanding Young Scholars, 4 young Chang Jiang scholars, and one Innovation Research Group of National Natural Science Foundation.

In recent five years, the SKLMMC has won 1 first prize of National Technological Invention Award, 2 second prizes of National Natural Science Award, and 1 second prize of National Technological Invention Award. The laboratory has published 2617 papers, including 2473 SCI papers, and obtained 539 authorized national invention patents.