South China Agricultural University

What South China Agricultural University does

South China Agricultural University (华南农业大学, SCAU) is a public, state-administered agricultural university founded in 1909 and headquartered in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China. Designated a national 'Double First-Class' university, it operates a 50,000+-student campus (37,611 undergraduates and 12,764 postgraduates) supported by 3,400+ faculty and staff across 25 colleges, 98 undergraduate majors, 13 doctoral first-level disciplines, and 12 postdoctoral research stations. Infrastructure spans the Wushan main campus (4,407 mu) and the Zengcheng teaching and research base (3,804 mu), with 1.6 million square meters of building area.

The university's core technology franchise is plant space mutation breeding, anchored by the National Plant Space Breeding Engineering Technology Research Center (founded 2009, officially named 2014) — the first such platform in China. Its proprietary methods have produced 56 approved rice varieties, 4 super rice varieties, 39 national invention patents (20 authorized), and 32 plant variety protection rights, with cumulative promotion across nearly 100 million mu. Additional platforms include the Water-Saving Drought-Resistant Rice Green Industry Research Institute (Feb 2024), the DUS Plant New Variety Testing (Guangzhou) Sub-center (authorized by the Ministry of Agriculture), and product lines in space-bred rice, sweet corn, and floricultural seedlings.

Revenue mechanics are characteristic of a public Chinese university: government education funding (national and Guangdong provincial budgets) is the primary input, supplemented by research grants and contracts (national and provincial), regulated tuition for domestic and international students, continuing and international education programs, and a commercial layer of technology transfer/licensing royalties (e.g., 67.805 million yuan from a core rice space-breeding patent) plus DUS testing fees. The customer base is segmented across three verticals: agricultural research and education, agricultural enterprises/farmers (seed licensing, tech transfer), and government agricultural departments (policy research, rural revitalization). Goto-market runs through the national Gaokao admissions system, the Guangzhou Dublin International College joint programs with University College Dublin, direct industry partnerships for seed IP licensing, and government collaboration agreements at provincial and municipal level.

Name

South China Agricultural University

Legal name

华南农业大学

Website

https://scau.edu.cn

Company type

Private

Founded year

1909

Operating status

Operating

Short description

South China Agricultural University (华南农业大学) is a public, 'Double First-Class' agricultural university in Guangzhou, China, founded 1909, serving 50,000+ students and operating China's pioneering National Plant Space Breeding Engineering Technology Research Center, with 56 approved rice varieties and licensed technology transfer to government and industry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education and Agricultural Research

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Applied Research & Innovation Universities (EDAHAEAE)

Keywords

• Agricultural higher education
• Plant breeding research
• Space mutation breeding
• Agricultural technology transfer
• Agricultural biotechnology

Headquarters

HQ city

Guangzhou

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Education Funding: Primary funding from national and provincial government budgets for educational operations, research activities, and infrastructure development.
2. Research Grants and Contracts: Funding from national research programs, provincial science and technology projects, and industry collaboration contracts.
3. Tuition and Educational Services: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate tuition, continuing education programs, and international student programs.
4. Technology Transfer and Consulting: Income from technology licensing, new seed variety royalties, and professional consulting services to agricultural enterprises and government departments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

South China Agricultural University is a national "Double First-Class" public university that delivers higher-education programs across 25 colleges and 98 undergraduate majors in agricultural sciences and related fields. It operates specialized research platforms — notably the National Plant Space Breeding Engineering Technology Research Center and the Water-Saving Drought-Resistant Rice Green Industry Research Institute — that develop new crop varieties and license the resulting germplasm, patents, and breeding technologies to government and industry partners. It also runs the Guangzhou Dublin International College of Life Sciences and Technology in partnership with University College Dublin, and a Plant New Variety Testing (DUS) sub-center authorized by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Product overview

South China Agricultural University operates as a comprehensive agricultural university with multiple specialized research centers and institutes. The core research infrastructure includes the National Space Breeding Engineering Technology Research Center (国家植物航天育种工程技术研究中心), which develops space-bred agricultural varieties through proprietary mutation breeding technology, and the Water-Saving and Drought-Resistant Rice Green Industry Research Institute (节水抗旱稻绿色产业研究院) focused on sustainable rice cultivation. The university's product portfolio encompasses space-bred rice varieties (水稻航天育种系列), sweet corn varieties (甜玉米品种), and ornamental plant seedlings (花卉种苗). Additional offerings include the Plant New Variety Testing Center providing DUS testing services, and the Guangzhou Dublin International College of Life Sciences and Technology delivering international educational programs in biological sciences, food quality, and horticulture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Guangzhou Dublin International Life Sciences and Technology College (广州都柏林国际生命科学与技术学院): A joint Sino-foreign cooperative college with University College Dublin, offering programs in Biological Sciences, Food Quality and Safety, and Horticulture
• 国家植物航天育种工程技术研究中心
• 节水抗旱稻绿色产业研究院

Quantifiable outcome

• 56 new rice varieties approved for cultivation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and regional.

• Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Genetics and Developmental BiologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerComprehensive strategic cooperation agreement signed in 2026 covering talent cultivation, scientific innovation, personnel exchange, and international collaboration in biological breeding and frontier life sciences.
• Shenzhen Guangming District Huanong Modern Agriculture Research InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransformation-oriented research institute focused on 'big agriculture, big health, big food' development direction, creating a benchmark for university technology transfer.
• University College DublincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint establishment of Guangzhou Dublin International College of Life Sciences and Technology offering 2+2 and joint degree programs in biological sciences, food quality and safety, and horticulture.
• Shanghai Agricultural Biological Gene CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint establishment of Water-Saving Drought-Resistant Rice Green Industry Research Institute, focusing on rice breeding technology innovation.
• Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on soybean breeding and germplasm exchange with EMBRAPA Soybean Research Center.
• Zhaoqing Gaoyao DistrictregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation agreement signed in 2026 for promoting water-saving drought-resistant rice industry development.
• Nanxiong Lakekou Town VillagesregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation agreement signed in 2026 for technology transfer of water-saving drought-resistant rice to abandoned farmland.
• United Arab Emirates University College of Agriculture and Veterinary MedicinemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational exchange visit in 2026 discussing agricultural research collaboration, faculty and student exchange programs.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• China Agricultural University: China's flagship agricultural research university, also a Double First-Class institution. Directly comparable to SCAU on agricultural science research, doctoral programs, and large-scale technology transfer activities.
• Nanjing Agricultural University: Another top-tier Double First-Class agricultural university with extensive plant breeding and crop science programs. Competes with SCAU for national talent programs and agricultural research grants.
• Huazhong Agricultural University: Major central-China agricultural university with comparable research scale in crop genetics, horticulture, and animal science. Directly comparable on research output and graduate program offerings.
• Northwest A&F University: Double First-Class agricultural university in Shaanxi with strong wheat and crop research. Competes with SCAU for national agricultural research funding and graduate students.
• Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University: Double First-Class agricultural university with southern-China focus on tea, sugarcane, and crop science. Closely comparable to SCAU on tropical/subtropical agriculture and regional breeding work.
• Northeast Agricultural University: Double First-Class agricultural university focused on cold-region agriculture and animal science. Comparable to SCAU on research scale, doctoral programs, and seed-technology platforms.
• Hunan Agricultural University: Agricultural university with strong rice research programs and Double First-Class discipline status. Direct peer in crop breeding, agronomy, and south-China rice variety development.

Broad incumbents

• Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS): National-level agricultural research institute with research staff and IP output far exceeding any single university. Partner of SCAU via strategic research agreements and a dominant force in Chinese agricultural R&D.
• Zhejiang University: Top-3 Chinese research university with a major agricultural college and significant life-sciences research. Larger and more diversified than SCAU but competes for elite agricultural research faculty and grants.

Regional players

• Sun Yat-sen University: Top-tier comprehensive research university also located in Guangzhou, with overlapping life-sciences and biology programs. Competes with SCAU regionally for students and Guangdong provincial funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about South China Agricultural University