Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology ( NIGLAS)

What Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology ( NIGLAS) does

Founded in 1940, the Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology (NIGLAS) is a state-level public research institution under the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Nanjing. It is described as China’s only national comprehensive research institution focused on lake-basin systems and provides research, monitoring, policy support, education, and technical services to government agencies, universities, research institutions, international organizations, and the public.\n\nNIGLAS’s core platform comprises the National Key Laboratory of Lake and Basin Water Security, a Remote Sensing and GIS Laboratory, the Lake-Basin Scientific Data Center, the linked Lake Science Database, a Public Technology Service Center, graduate programs, and a network of eight field research stations. It combines satellite and UAV imagery with long-term field observations, water-quality measurements, GIS, and data analytics to study lake and watershed evolution, ecological conditions, pollution risks, water security, and management interventions. Its outputs include research programs, data-sharing services, instrument access, academic journals, and scientific and policy reports.\n\nThe institute is primarily supported through government allocations, public research budgets, and institutional partnerships rather than disclosed commercial pricing. Research findings and services are distributed through government cooperation, academic exchange, field stations, international partnerships, publications, data-sharing platforms, and public technology services; annual revenue figures are not disclosed in the supplied data.

Name

Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology ( NIGLAS)

Legal name

中国科学院南京地理与湖泊研究所

Website

https://niglas.ac.cn

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology is a state-level Chinese Academy of Sciences research institute studying lake-basin systems, water security, ecology, and remote sensing for government, academic, and international stakeholders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific Research Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

akta.pro primary industry

NRW Data Management & Water Balance (IWA Methodology, GIS/SCADA Integration, Digital Twins) (EUANAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

ESG, Sustainability & Impact Research (BPAHALAL)

Keywords

• Limnology research
• Lake basin science
• Water security research
• Environmental monitoring
• Geographic research

Headquarters

HQ city

Nanjing

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding and Budget: State-funded research institution under Chinese Academy of Sciences, receiving annual government allocations for research operations, equipment, and personnel as reflected in departmental budget documents

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NIGLAS is a national comprehensive research institution conducting fundamental and applied research on lake-basin system evolution, lake environment governance, and watershed geography for sustainable development. It operates a network of 8 field research stations, a National Key Laboratory, scientific data centers, publishes academic journals, and runs graduate education programs in geography and limnology. The institute delivers scientific support for lake protection governance, ecological restoration policies, and water resource management to government agencies and academic institutions.

Product overview

NIGLAS is a national comprehensive research institution focused on lake-basin systems. Its core product is the National Key Laboratory of Lake and Basin Water Security, supported by a network of 8 field research stations (Taihu, Poyang, Fuxian, Hulun, Tianmu, Qiandao, East Africa Great Lakes, and Wanqingshan) and the Lake-Basin Scientific Data Center. NIGLAS publishes two journals — the Chinese-language Journal of Lake Sciences and the English-language Water Science and Sustainable Development — and operates a Public Technology Service Center for instrument access. Research divisions span lake sediment and environmental evolution, lake biology and ecology, physical limnology, lake environment engineering, lake-basin process regulation, regional human geography, and remote sensing & GIS. AI capabilities are applied in satellite remote sensing for lake water quality monitoring, cyanobacteria bloom monitoring and early warning, and GeoAI-driven pollution source identification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 湖泊与流域水安全全国重点实验室: National Key Laboratory for Lake and Watershed Water Security
• 湖泊科学 (Journal of Lake Sciences)

Products and services

• National Key Laboratory of Lake and Basin Water Security (湖泊与流域水安全全国重点实验室)

Quantifiable outcome

• Research findings selected as one of China's Top 10 Ecological Environmental Science and Technology Advances in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tanzania Fisheries Research InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 December 2024Established China-Tanzania Joint Laboratory for Water Environment Protection and Aquatic Resources Management (Lake Victoria Center). Focuses on research in large deep-water lakes, global change, and watershed system security. Implements Belt and Road Initiative scientific cooperation through joint research station network.
• Korea Basic Science InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 November 2023Signed science and technology innovation cooperation memorandum for joint research initiatives.
• Polish Academy of Sciences Geological InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 November 2019Signed cooperation memorandum for joint lake scientific research, conducting collaborative field investigations of temperate lakes in China and Poland.
• China-Africa Joint Research CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative network providing platform for water resources and ecological environment research in East Africa, with Water Resources and Ecological Environment Sub-center.
• Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent institution providing funding, strategic direction, and national research platform. NIGLAS is an integral part of CAS research network.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated to establish China Living Lakes Network (CLLN) at 11th World Living Lakes Conference, promoting lake ecological protection and sustainable use.
• Denmark-China Research Education CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint educational and research activities at Taihu Lake research station, conducting teaching practicums and student exchanges.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ): Germany's largest research center for environmental research covering water, soil, and ecosystems. Comparable as a publicly-funded comprehensive environmental research institute with similar scale and mission.

Direct peers

• Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE): Finland's national environmental research institute with focus on water systems, lake monitoring, and ecological research. Comparable in mandate and operating model to NIGLAS, particularly in lake and watershed science.
• Deltares: Dutch applied research institute specializing in water, subsurface, and infrastructure with focus on delta and water systems. Comparable to NIGLAS in applied water research, modeling, and policy advisory roles.
• Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute: Chinese national research institute under the Ministry of Water Resources focused on hydraulic engineering and water resources. Closest Chinese peer to NIGLAS in water-related applied research, sharing geographic base in Nanjing.
• State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research (East China Normal University): Chinese state key laboratory focused on estuarine and coastal research at East China Normal University. Comparable to NIGLAS as a Chinese state-level research entity in aquatic environmental science with similar publication and monitoring mandate.
• Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology): Switzerland's national research institute for aquatic science and technology, with similar mandate on water quality, ecosystem research, and applied limnology. Highly comparable as a publicly-funded national water research institution with strong publication output.
• Chinese Academy of Sciences - Wuhan Institute of Hydrobiology: CAS sister institute focused on freshwater biology, aquaculture, and hydrobiology. Highly comparable to NIGLAS as a Chinese Academy of Sciences aquatic research institute with adjacent research focus on lake and freshwater ecosystems.
• Chinese Academy of Sciences - Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research: CAS sister institute focused on geography, natural resources, and earth system science. Closest in mission and governance structure to NIGLAS among Chinese research institutes, with overlap in geographic and environmental research.
• CSIRO Land and Water: Australia's national science agency division focused on water and land research. Directly comparable to NIGLAS as a national research entity conducting water quality monitoring, watershed research, and environmental science.

Emerging players

• International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA): International research institute applying systems analysis to environmental, water, and sustainability challenges. Comparable to NIGLAS in international research collaboration on water security and sustainability.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nanjing-institute-of-geography-and-limnology-niglas-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology ( NIGLAS)