As a research-intensive university, HUST is renowned for both its advanced research facilities and its academic achievements. Based on the research facilities, the University ranks in the forefront nationwide in comprehensive capacity with increasing strength on undertaking basic research and major S&T research tasks, and therefore continuously resulting in significant research findings.

Each year, HUST receives close to 4 billion RMB in research from external sources. HUST emphasizes academic contribution, keeps displaying the advantages in medicine and engineering and attaches importance to technological contribution so as to enhance social and economic development through transferring technological achievements. A large number of outstanding technological achievements have been transferred to university technology industry, with four listed enterprises incubated in Hubei such as Huagong Technology Limited, Huazhong Numerical Control Co., Ltd., Tianyu Information Industry Co.,Ltd, and etc. The University plays a critical role in the development of China’s Optics Valley. Since 2016, 102 technology centers and laboratories have been built jointly by HUST and a number of leading enterprises.

During the 13th Five-Year Plan(2016-2020), the University took the lead in 70 key national R & D programs, ranked seventh among national universities. 3,734 National Natural Science Foundation of China projects has been awarded, with a total of 2.315 billion RMB in direct costs, ranked at the forefront nationwide in terms of number and amount of projects. As the first complete institution, HUST has won 25 National Scientific and Technological Awards including two first-class awards, tied for sixth place among national universities. Achievements in the field of optoelectronics were selected to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding ceremony of the People’s Republic of China’s large achievements exhibition, and the TianQin-1 satellite (TQ-1) was successfully launched. According to University rankings of Science & Technology contribution, HUST is ranked fifth for its science & technology contribution among Chinese universities.