The PRIC leads polar scientific research, develops polar exploration and observation technologies and equipment, and plans and leads international large-scale scientific programs through its research stations and expeditions. The institute contains teams which focus on areas including polar security and policy research, polar ice and climate change, polar atmosphere, space physics and astronomy. China's
Taiyuan University of Technology has developed acoustic detection buoys, sea ice multi-parameter buoys (IMB), sea ice melt pool observation buoys, unmanned sea ice stations, and sea ice temperature chain buoys, which have been successfully deployed at multiple locations in the Arctic Ocean during the PRIC's Arctic expeditions. While these environmental monitoring and detection systems support civilian oceanographic research, some observers of China's Arctic activities point out that underwater sensors can also serve
dual-use purposes. Underwater microphones can not only monitor scientific data but also detect and track
submarines, ships, and explore seabed resources. These concerns are supported by a study of the buoy's test results in the Chinese Journal of Polar Research, which notes that "the acoustic information gathered by the planned large-scale listening network could have diverse applications, including subglacial communications, navigation and positioning, target detection, and the reconstruction of marine environmental parameters." Analysts have drawn parallels between China's current buoy network, ostensibly for "oceanographic surveys and acoustic modelling," and its activities in the
South China Sea, where similar efforts were critical for the
PLA Navy's operational effectiveness. The dual-use applications of scientific research reflect the Chinese doctrine of
military-civil fusion, the principle that the Chinese civilian and commercial sectors must serve the
Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s national security objectives. == International collaboration ==