Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Palaeontological and Stratigraphic Researchenglish.nigpas.cas.cn

NIGPAS is a state-owned research institute under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, founded in 1951 and based in Nanjing, China. It conducts basic and applied research in paleontology and stratigraphy, operates the GBDB scientific database, and serves the global academic research community.

Company typePrivate
Founded1951
HeadquartersNanjing, China
Headcount11–50
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences does

The Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS) is a state-owned research institute headquartered in Nanjing, China, founded in 1951 and operating under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It conducts basic and applied basic research in paleontology and stratigraphy, organized across five research divisions covering palaeobotany and palynology, invertebrate paleontology, micropaleontology, and Cenozoic life and environment, plus the State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy. Its core technology stack consists of modern observational and analytical facilities for studying fossil and sedimentary strata, supported by a large collection of type specimens accumulated since 1951 and a specialized library with long-term literature holdings in paleontology and stratigraphy.

NIGPAS operates several interconnected non-commercial infrastructure assets: the Geobiodiversity Database (GBDB), which serves as the official database of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) and the International Palaeontological Association (IPA); the NIGPAS OpenIR institutional repository; a Fossil Repository; the Nanjing Museum of Palaeontology for public science communication; and a Consulting Center of Stratigraphy and Palaeontology. Research outputs are produced through international collaborations with partners including Virginia Tech, LMU Munich, Columbia University, and Mahasarakham University.

The institute does not operate on a commercial revenue model. It is funded through Chinese central government grants and CAS institutional budgets, and its primary customer segments are the academic and scientific research community in paleontology, geology, and stratigraphy, alongside a secondary segment of the general public reached through museum-based science communication. Staffing is reported in the 11-50 range, and senior research leadership includes Director WANG Jun and CAS Academician Zhu Maoyan.

Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Legal name: Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Website: https://english.nigpas.cas.cn
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1951
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 11–50 employees
Short description: NIGPAS is a state-owned research institute under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, founded in 1951 and based in Nanjing, China. It conducts basic and applied research in paleontology and stratigraphy, operates the GBDB scientific database, and serves the global academic research community.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences industry classification

Industry

Product category: Palaeontological and Stratigraphic Research
NAICS: Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (712110)
SIC: Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
akta.pro primary industry: Biodiversity Baseline Studies & Long-Term Monitoring Programs (EUAHAHAE)
akta.pro secondary industries: Scientific & Laboratory Reference (Chemistry, Biology, Physics; Methods & Protocols) (EDAGAGAG), Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)

Keywords

Paleontology research
Stratigraphy analysis
Fossil repository services
Geobiodiversity database
Palaeobiology laboratory

Where Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Nanjing
HQ country: China
HQ region: Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Conducts basic and applied basic research in paleontology and stratigraphy, including the study of ancient life forms and Earth's geological history. Operates the State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, maintains fossil repositories, manages geobiodiversity databases, runs a public museum, and provides scientific consulting and publishing services.

Product overview

Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS) is a research institute engaged in basic and applied basic research in paleontology and stratigraphy, along with public science communication. The institute operates as a unified research organization offering multiple interconnected services and infrastructure: the Geobiodiversity Database (GBDB) serves as the primary scientific database for stratigraphical and paleontological information; the State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy conducts advanced research; NIGPAS OpenIR provides institutional repository services; and the Stratigraphic Palaeontological Data Center manages research data. The institute also maintains a Fossil Repository for specimen collections and operates the Nanjing Museum of Palaeontology for science communication. The portfolio is unified by the institute's core research mission in paleontology and stratigraphy, with all products and services supporting this mission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy

Quantifiable outcome

50,000+ fossil specimens collected from Huayuan deposit, 153 animal species identified including 59% new to science
+1 more outcomes

Companies that use Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Customer profile

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

Mahasarakham UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 October 2025NIGPAS and Mahasarakham University signed a Memorandum of Understanding on October 16th, 2025. The partnership builds on an initial MoU signed in 2019 and focuses on long-term pragmatic collaboration in geology and paleontology. The collaboration includes joint research efforts, exchange of scholars, and science education initiatives. Both institutions are preparing for the 3rd Asian Palaeontological Congress to be held in Thailand in March 2027.
Virginia TechminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Cambrian microfossils research, including the discovery of earliest annelid fossils in the Kuanchuanpu Formation.
LMU MunichminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration on paleontological studies.
First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources of ChinaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partner in paleontological and geological studies.
Columbia UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research on Triassic-Jurassic climate and dinosaur survival studies.
Hunan MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on Liexi fauna discovery in Hunan Province.
Central South UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research on the Liexi fauna from Lower Ordovician of Hunan Province.
Nanjing UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration in paleogeographic and paleontological research.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Natural History Museum, London: One of the world's foremost natural history research institutes operating a major paleontology department, comparable collections, and a public museum; directly competes for talent, specimen loans, and high-impact publications with NIGPAS.
American Museum of Natural History: Major natural history museum and research division with comparable fossil collections, journal output, and K–12 science communication programs that directly overlap NIGPAS's research and museum functions.
Museum für Naturkunde Berlin: German national natural history museum with one of the world's largest paleontology collections and active research departments; a peer to NIGPAS on collection scale, research output, and museum-based science communication.
Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP), Chinese Academy of Sciences: Sister CAS institute also conducting fundamental research in paleontology with State Key Laboratory status; the closest direct peer in the same national system and the leading global center for vertebrate and human-origins paleontology.
Australian Museum: Natural history museum and research institute with significant paleontology collections and active field programs; directly comparable in operating model and scientific focus areas to NIGPAS.
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: U.S. national natural history institution with deep paleontology and stratigraphy research programs, large type-specimen collections, and a science communication footprint closely analogous to NIGPAS.
National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo: Japan's premier natural history museum with research staff in paleontology, geology, and evolutionary biology; comparable in governance model (national research-institution-plus-museum) and in scientific scope to NIGPAS.

Regional players

Geological Survey of China (CGS): National geological mapping and resource survey agency with adjacent paleontological and stratigraphic responsibilities; shares the Chinese geological research ecosystem with NIGPAS but focuses on resource assessment rather than pure research.

Broad incumbents

Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences (CAGS): National geological research organization with strong overlap in stratigraphy and paleontology research, plus applied geological services; broader mandate than NIGPAS but with significant domain overlap.
Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGGCAS): Sister CAS institute covering broader geology and paleobiology research; overlapping domains (stratigraphy, paleontology) make it a peer in adjacent earth-science research rather than a direct paleontology specialist.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences subsidiaries and ownership

Company hierarchy

Subsidiaries1 record

Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

What does Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences do?

Is Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences a public or private company?

Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences founded?

Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences was founded in 1951. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences based?

Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences is headquartered in Nanjing, China, in the Asia region.

Who are Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Natural History Museum, London, American Museum of Natural History, Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Australian Museum, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo. Geological Survey of China (CGS) is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences (CAGS) and Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGGCAS).

Does Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences have an API?

No public API is recorded for Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

What industry is Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in?

Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences's product category is Palaeontological and Stratigraphic Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAHAHAE, Biodiversity Baseline Studies & Long-Term Monitoring Programs, with a secondary code of EDAGAGAG, Scientific & Laboratory Reference (Chemistry, Biology, Physics; Methods & Protocols). Its NAICS code is 7121 and its SIC code is 8731.