The Institute for Sustainable Development at the University of Science and Technology of Macau was established in September 2002, with the aim of being "neutral, scientific, and constructive". The institute conducts a series of public policy research and social surveys related to Macau, including the compilation and publication of indices and thematic studies closely related to the current social and economic development of Macau and adjacent areas. It is invited to undertake policy consultation and research projects commissioned by the SAR government departments, And provide public opinion or market research services for all sectors. In addition, the research institute has established stable cooperative relationships with multiple research institutions to jointly participate in research on national and regional level research topics.

      The research institute has a telephone access system (CATI) that can be used for market research, as well as a capable research access and supervision team. The Institute regularly publishes several important indicators of Macao, including Macao Consumer Confidence Index (CCI), Macao Consumer Satisfaction Index (CSI) and Macao Employee Confidence and Satisfaction Index (ECI), which have lasted for more than 10 years; Since the first quarter of 2009, it has cooperated with Capital University of Economics and Business, Central University of Finance and Economics, City University of Hong Kong and Catholic Furen University to jointly release the "Consumer Confidence Index across the Taiwan Straits and Hong Kong and Macao", continuously tracking and timely feeding back consumers' confidence in the social economy, and has gradually become a research brand with certain popularity and influence.

      The research institute uses project research as a platform and invites experts from both inside and outside the school to participate in the research topic. The research scope covers multiple fields such as society, economy, finance, technology, education, healthcare, people's livelihood, environment, energy, etc. The research projects carried out by the research institute include longitudinal projects funded by the Macau Foundation and the Macau Science and Technology Development Fund, joint research funding from the Macau Science and Technology Development Fund and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (FDCT-NSFC), as well as horizontal projects commissioned by government departments, financial institutions, and associations in the Special Administrative Region.

      The research institute has trained a group of local investigators with practical experience through market research projects; At the same time, incorporating master's and doctoral students into research projects has enhanced students' empirical research abilities. In the 2020/2021 academic year, the research institute officially launched the "Doctoral Program in Urban and Regional Economics".

      The research institute also actively engages in diverse exchanges and cooperation with various sectors of society. Through the "Sustainable Development" series of lectures and the "Bay Area Financial Forum," experts and scholars are gathered to explain cutting-edge theories and economic practices to students, expanding their horizons.

      At present, the research institute is actively conducting regional economic research. Under the national development plan for the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area, the research institute will adhere to the cooperative principle of "politics, industry, academia, research and application", create urban and regional science teaching bases, build high-end think tanks for urban and regional development, and create a collaborative innovation platform for urban and regional development that intersects disciplines, gathers resources, and integrates and interacts.