Jiangsu: Strengthen the integration and adaptation of core hardware and software systems such as brain-machine interface sensors, chips, and batteries

Below is the notice from the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology and eight other departments regarding the issuance of the “Jiangsu Province Brain-Computer Interface Industry Innovation and Development Action Plan.”

All district-level Industry and Information Technology Bureaus, Development and Reform Commissions, Education Bureaus, Science and Technology Bureaus, Health and Wellness Commissions, State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commissions, Data Bureaus, Intellectual Property Bureaus, and Inspection Branches of the Provincial Drug Administration:

To implement the “Implementation Opinions on Promoting Innovation and Development of the Brain-Computer Interface Industry” issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and other seven departments, and to promote high-quality development of the brain-computer interface industry, after careful research, we have formulated the “Jiangsu Province Brain-Computer Interface Industry Innovation and Development Action Plan.” It is now issued to you. Please combine it with actual conditions and earnestly implement it.

Below is the Jiangsu Province Brain-Computer Interface Industry Innovation and Development Action Plan

To implement the “Implementation Opinions on Promoting Innovation and Development of the Brain-Computer Interface Industry” (MIIT Lian Ke [2025] 164), to proactively plan for future industries, create new economic growth points, seize opportunities for industry development, and vigorously promote breakthroughs in key technologies, development of complete machine products, and opening of application scenarios, accelerating industry clustering, and forming new productive forces, this plan is developed to high-level empower new industrialization and support the construction of a modern industrial system.

1. Overall Goals

By 2027, achieve new breakthroughs in electrodes, chips, algorithms, etc., and realize integrated development of perception, regulation, and interaction technologies in brain-computer interfaces. Promote registration and approval of a batch of brain-computer interface-related medical devices, recognize a batch of innovative brain-computer interface products, and accelerate their application in industrial manufacturing, medical health, and consumer life fields. Accelerate industry clustering, and build no fewer than two provincial-level brain-computer interface industry clusters.

By 2030, the industry development system will be initially complete, with 2-3 leading enterprises with domestic and international influence, cultivating a number of specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises, forming a relatively complete industrial ecosystem covering basic materials, core components, complete machine products, and application services. The industry’s comprehensive competitiveness will rank among the top nationwide, actively striving to become a national pilot zone for future industries.

2. Main Tasks

(1) Implement Industry Innovation Co-construction Action

1. Strengthen technological supply. Leverage the advantages of universities, research institutes, medical institutions, and other scientific resources within the province. Focus research on brain cognition principles, major brain disease mechanisms and interventions, brain-like intelligent computing, new multimodal brain-machine interaction, and other frontier fields of brain science and brain-like intelligence. Support capable universities to establish brain-computer interface colleges. Utilize national and provincial key laboratories, Ministry-Province brain-computer interface laboratories, and other research platforms to lead interdisciplinary integration of brain science, life science, information science, etc. Support provincial science and technology projects such as basic research plans, frontier technology R&D plans, and major science and technology projects in the brain-computer interface field. By 2030, implement no fewer than 15 science and technology projects. (Responsibilities assigned to the Provincial Department of Science and Technology, Department of Industry and Information Technology, Department of Education, and Health Commission)

2. Build innovation platforms. Promote enterprise-led innovation platforms, support leading enterprises to take the lead, and jointly establish brain-computer interface research centers and institutes with universities, research institutes, and medical institutions. Cultivate provincial manufacturing innovation centers in the brain-computer interface field. Advance high-level R&D institutions such as Jiangsu Brain-Computer Interface Research Institute and Nanjing University Brain-Computer Interface Research Institute to collaborate across fields like artificial intelligence, new materials, and integrated circuits, accelerating the formation of joint innovation results such as large-scale brain electrical models, high-performance electrodes, and multimodal signal processing systems. By 2030, plan to establish about 10 provincial-level enterprise technology centers, industrial technology engineering centers, and innovation centers. (Responsibilities assigned to the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, Development and Reform Commission, Department of Education, Department of Science and Technology, and Health Commission)

3. Carry out technical breakthroughs. Support enterprises to form innovation consortia with universities, research institutes, and medical institutions, actively undertake technical R&D projects, and accelerate breakthroughs in key technologies such as electrode materials, brain-computer chips, basic software, and development of key products. Improve biocompatibility of brain electrodes, energy efficiency of brain chips, data acquisition bandwidth, and accuracy of brain signal encoding/decoding algorithms. Conduct patent navigation analysis around key technical directions, build industry-specific patent databases, and compile a list of technical shortfalls in the industry chain. Organize “shortcoming-filling” technical R&D and industry chain collaborative innovation projects. By 2030, implement no fewer than 15 key technology R&D tasks. (Responsibilities assigned to the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, Development and Reform Commission, Department of Education, Department of Science and Technology, Health Commission, and Intellectual Property Office)

4. Develop high-performance products. Strengthen integration and adaptation of core hardware and software systems such as brain-computer interface sensors, chips, and batteries. Promote product development toward intelligence, lightweight design, high speed, and low power consumption. In industrial manufacturing, develop wearable brain state monitoring devices, brain-controlled equipment, and robots; in medical health, develop implantable neural regulation devices, minimally invasive brain-machine systems, and other brain disease treatment devices, as well as stroke and ALS rehabilitation equipment; in consumer life, develop sleep monitoring and intervention devices, attention training, brain-controlled smart home products, etc. Regularly select advanced, effective, and replicable typical cases for promotion and recommend outstanding cases for national recognition. By 2030, recognize no fewer than 30 “three-firsts and two-new” brain-computer interface products. (Responsibilities assigned to the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, Development and Reform Commission, Department of Science and Technology, and Health Commission)

(2) Implement Application Scenario Opening and Cultivation Action

5. Open industrial manufacturing application scenarios. Focus on safety management, deep-sea, and deep-hole operations, organizing key industry enterprises in hazardous materials, nuclear energy, mining, and power to pilot applications. Guide enterprises to explore brain-computer interface-based industrial equipment and robot control solutions, human-machine interaction modes, and other innovative applications in design, manufacturing, and operation management, accelerating product innovation and iteration in the industrial field. By 2030, release a list of “brain-computer interface + manufacturing” application scenarios. (Responsibilities assigned to the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, Development and Reform Commission, Department of Science and Technology, State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission)

6. Build medical and health application scenarios. Promote the construction of clinical trial scenarios for brain-computer interfaces in top-tier hospitals within the province, encourage clinical research on brain-computer interface implantation, and support qualified institutions to provide corresponding clinical diagnosis and treatment services. Guide key medical institutions to open clinical scenarios to enterprises, universities, and research institutes, establish specialized brain-computer interface research wards to meet R&D, data collection, and clinical trial needs. Strengthen pre-approval guidance for related medical device registration, support products to enter special review procedures, and promote qualified products into the innovative drug and device catalog. Guide community hospitals and disability organizations to accelerate the promotion in early screening, prediction, diagnosis, and assistance for brain diseases. By 2030, promote no fewer than 20 brain-computer interface products to pass medical device registration. (Responsibilities assigned to the Health Commission, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Industry and Information Technology, and Drug Administration)

7. Cultivate consumer life application scenarios. Encourage enterprises to accelerate integration of brain-computer interfaces with smart IoT, virtual reality, embodied intelligence, and other technologies. Innovate non-invasive product forms such as headbands, earphones, ear clips, and hairpins. Integrate multimodal data like EEG, near-infrared signals, and electromyography to develop intelligent, lightweight, wearable products and innovative service solutions. Accelerate application exploration and scenario cultivation in health and wellness, transportation safety, education and training, sports, entertainment, and smart home fields. Support regions with conditions to build product experience and display centers, combining science popularization, health surveys, and other public activities to enhance product experience and promotion. By 2030, cultivate no fewer than 30 typical “brain-computer interface + consumer” application scenarios. (Responsibilities assigned to the Development and Reform Commission, Department of Education, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Industry and Information Technology, Health Commission, and Data Bureau)

(3) Implement Industry Main Body Expansion Action

8. Create leading enterprises. Implement the “Building Peak and Strengthening Chain” key enterprise cultivation plan, support complete machine leading companies to build open innovation platforms, conduct collaborative R&D and supply chain cooperation, integrate innovation resources, and promote upstream and downstream industry chain connectivity. Accelerate the growth of ecosystem-leading chain master enterprises to enhance overall industry competitiveness. Guide high-tech and tech-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises to increase R&D investment, deepen cooperation with universities, research institutes, and medical institutions, and develop into industry leaders, improving innovation levels across the industry chain. (Responsibilities assigned to the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, Development and Reform Commission, Department of Science and Technology, and Health Commission)

9. Cultivate specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative enterprises. Focus on soft and hardware fields such as flexible electrodes, brain chips, and software systems. Build a tiered cultivation system for specialized, refined, and innovative enterprises, supporting innovative, niche, and high-growth SMEs. Guide universities and research institutes to open experimental environments to enterprises, strengthen talent and technology exchange, accelerate technological breakthroughs and process upgrades, and cultivate “little giant” enterprises, manufacturing champions, unicorns, and gazelles. (Responsibilities assigned to the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, Department of Education, Department of Science and Technology)

10. Build industry clusters. Encourage capable parks to establish incubators and accelerators in the brain-computer interface field, strengthen talent and startup team recruitment, and plan ahead for key component and complete machine product layouts. Support regions like Nanjing and Suzhou with strong industrial bases to pilot future industry cluster development, create brain-computer interface industrial parks, and strive to become national future industry pilot zones. (Responsibilities assigned to the Development and Reform Commission, Department of Science and Technology, and Department of Industry and Information Technology)

(4) Implement Industry Support Enhancement Action

11. Improve public service platforms. Support leading enterprises to jointly build brain-computer interface concept verification centers, testing platforms, pilot manufacturing platforms, and data collection centers with research institutes, medical institutions, user units, and industrial parks. Focus on constructing the “Jiangsu Province Brain-Computer Interface Common Innovation and Industry Service Platform,” building no fewer than 20,000 high-quality data samples and standard test datasets, providing prototype manufacturing, performance testing, secondary development, pilot production, and data circulation services. By 2030, establish 3-5 public service platforms in the field. (Responsibilities assigned to the Development and Reform Commission, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Industry and Information Technology, Health Commission, and Data Bureau)

12. Promote safety governance. Leverage the role of the Provincial Medical Ethics Expert Committee to establish ethical review, social supervision mechanisms, and ensure research legality and healthful development. Build a “safety review + classification and grading” data management model, standardize brain signal data collection, application, and transmission, and enhance user privacy and biological information security. Strengthen standards leadership, promote the construction of provincial brain-computer interface standardization technical committees, and accelerate the development of key standards aligned with industry needs. (Responsibilities assigned to the Health Commission, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Industry and Information Technology, and Data Bureau)

13. Optimize talent cultivation. Support key enterprises to accelerate high-level talent recruitment through national and provincial talent programs. Encourage leading enterprises to form talent R&D consortia, gather industry leaders and high-level innovation teams. Guide enterprises to collaborate with universities, research institutes, and medical institutions to cultivate interdisciplinary engineering talents, increasing high-level talent supply. Support relevant universities to develop courses or majors in brain-computer interfaces and establish internship and training bases. (Responsibilities assigned to the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, Development and Reform Commission, Department of Education, Department of Science and Technology, and Health Commission)

14. Strengthen financial support. Utilize the provincial strategic emerging industry fund to guide investments in brain-computer interface projects with broad application prospects and strong growth potential. Encourage regions with conditions to establish industry investment funds, attracting social capital to support seed and startup companies. Rely on the provincial science and technology financial service platform to gather government-bank loan products like “Suke Loan” and “Specialized and Innovative Loan,” and develop specialized financial products for the industry, providing comprehensive “equity, debt, loan, insurance, and guarantee” services. (Responsibilities assigned to the Provincial Financial Office, Development and Reform Commission, Department of Finance, Jiangsu Branch of the People’s Bank, Jiangsu Financial Regulatory Bureau, and Jiangsu Securities Regulatory Bureau)

3. Organization and Implementation

Relevant provincial departments shall improve related work measures according to their responsibilities. All regions should closely combine actual conditions, leverage regional advantages, identify key directions, cultivate enterprises accordingly, and form an integrated work pattern of provincial-city linkage and departmental collaboration. Integrate industry resources, establish provincial brain-computer interface industry alliances and other industry promotion organizations, strengthen industry self-discipline and normative development. Deepen industry exchanges and cooperation, support activities such as academic forums, industry exhibitions, supply-demand matchmaking, innovation and entrepreneurship competitions, and industry development conferences, and promote excellent products and solutions to drive industry innovation and development.

Source: Jiangsu Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology

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