China is launching a massive program to develop the brain-computer interface (BCI) industry, aiming to catch up with or even outpace American companies like Elon Musk’s Neuralink. This is reported by Tom’s Hardware.
The document called Implementation Plan for Promoting Innovation and Development of the BCI Industry includes 17 main measures and was developed with the participation of seven ministries. It combines industrial planning, medical regulation and scientific control.
The program envisages a rapid transition from laboratory research to clinical practice by 2027. And by 2030, China plans to form its own powerful players in the domestic market. Unlike the US, where companies go through long stages of testing at the FDA, the Chinese model involves the involvement of regulators from the very beginning, which should significantly shorten the path from research to commercialization.
Among the key directions are the creation of low-power implantable chips, the improvement of electrode materials to reduce scarring, the development of algorithms for instant conversion of thoughts into commands, as well as the scaling of production. Clinical tests are already showing progress: patients with implanted electrodes can control smartphones and even play chess using neurosignals.
In addition to medicine, the plan also envisages consumer applications — for example, devices for monitoring the attention of drivers or industrial safety systems. China is positioning BCI as a tool for the future medical and consumer electronics revolution, combining government coordination with efforts to boost its own semiconductor production.
