北京高压科学研究中心（简称：高科中心）筹建于2012年5月，正式成立于2014年5月，是由中央批准成立具有独立法人资格的国家事业单位，由国家财政部提供资助。中心创始人及首任主任是毛河光院士，现任中心主任、法人代表是杨文革研究员。

高科中心定位于高压科学广阔的新空间和新机遇，通过重大发明与发现，为我国在物理、化学、材料 和地球科学等物质科学领域建立引领国际的科研地位。高科中心结合全球化理念和我国科研现况，遵循美国卡内基 研究院引领科研百年的成功体制，实践以研究员个人为核心的“自由、合作、顶尖”理念：选定优秀研究员，提供 充分的支撑，屏蔽干扰，赋予充分自由，来选择科研方向，组织团队，推动单位内外和国内外专业上、技术上、设备上的交流合作，以追求各人顶尖科学目标。

HPSTAR is the Center for High Pressure Science & Technology Advanced Research initiated by Dr. Ho-Kwang Mao and now directed by Dr. Wenge Yang. Funded directly by the Ministry of Finance of the People’s Republic of China, HPSTAR is a national legal entity, named 北京高压科学研究中心（简称：高科中心）. Its Shanghai branch campus was established on 1 January 2013, followed by a branch campus in Changchun and the central campus in Beijing. Growing at a steady rate, HPSTAR is projected to reach its mature size in 10 years with 90 full time staff scientists and 600 additional people, including graduate students, postdocs, visiting scientists, engineers and administrative personnel.

HPSTAR embraces the foundational principles of the Carnegie Institution of Washington to devote resources to exceptional individual staff scientists so that they can explore the most intriguing scientific questions in an atmosphere of complete freedom. The sole Mission is to "encourage, in the broadest and most liberal manner, investigation, research and discovery and the application of knowledge to the improvement of mankind." Over 110 years accomplishments at the Carnegie Institution have repeatedly demonstrated the power and effectiveness of this approach for pursuance of transformative break throughs in fundamental science.

While individual scientific expertise and directions may differ greatly, HPSTAR scientists share a common vision that one of the richest grounds for discoveries is in the pressure dimension. They form multidisciplinary collaborative teams to advance cutting edge research areas, presently including: high-pressure physics, high-pressure chemistry, super-hard materials, Earth & planetary interiors, high-pressure technology, high-pressure photon science, high-pressure nano science, high-pressure functional materials, and high-pressure energy science.

HPSTAR is committed to science without borders, and is becoming a global center in high-pressure science and technology. Although HPSTAR is located in China, half of its staff scientists are citizens of other countries, and the official language is English. HPSTAR forbids classified and for-profit proprietary research. HPSTAR provides ample research funding, advanced facilities, and open, liberal, collaborative research environment to its staff scientists as well as international visiting scientists, so that they are able to fully focus their time, efforts, and creativity to pursue individual scientific dreams.