Leading 'Little Giant' Enters National Brain-Computer Interface Innovation Hub

(Source: Xinhua Daily)

Our Staff Report (Wang Lihua, Ma Chaonan) — On February 10, in Qixia, Nanjing, the New Year academic event of the Jiangsu Brain-Computer Interface Research Institute was held. Huichuang Medical, a leading enterprise in the near-infrared brain-computer interface field, officially signed to settle in and became the institute's first clinical transformation partner in 2026. This move fills a key gap in the industrialization of optical brain-computer interfaces on a national-level platform and will accelerate the construction of a leading brain-computer interface research and transformation base in China with a "chain leader" effect.

Brain-computer interface (BCI) is a disruptive technology that integrates life sciences, information technology, and artificial intelligence, and is a key future industry outlined in the "15th Five-Year Plan." Huichuang Medical is the first national-level specialized and innovative "little giant" enterprise in the field of optical brain-computer interfaces. Its core "functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) brain imaging" technology is vividly referred to as performing an "optical CT" on the brain — using safe near-infrared light to non-invasively detect brain activity, enabling high-precision brain-computer interfaces. Currently, its products have been adopted by over 1,000 top medical and research institutions across China, firmly maintaining a leading position in the domestic market.

Jiangsu Brain-Computer Interface Research Institute is a "national team" established based on the national brain-computer interface common innovation and industry service platform. It is jointly built by 15 core units, including the Provincial People's Hospital, Qixia District Government, Nanjing University, and Southeast University. On the same day, Academician Zheng Hairong of the Chinese Academy of Sciences was appointed as the honorary president of the institute.

Chairman of Huichuang Medical, Wang Daifa, was also appointed as the Industrial Vice Dean of the Research Institute. This means that this "chain leader" enterprise will be upgraded from a "service recipient" to the "overall leader" of industrial development, participating in demand definition at the starting point of technology research and development to ensure that the technical route resonates with clinical needs and market costs. "The collaboration between an industry 'little giant' and a national-level 'experimental field' will evolve from 'physical aggregation' to 'chemical integration,'" said Wang Daifa. "Our company is in a rapid development phase, and from today onwards, we have become part of the Research Institute, jointly promoting the brain-computer interface industry development across China."

This "seamless integration of research, clinical practice, and industry" model is already benefiting the companies that have moved in. Zhu Jijun, head of Nanjing Huichuang Medical, a leading company in China's medical device industry, has deep insights into this. Last year, the company established its presence at the Research Institute, bringing over 150 million yuan in five-year R&D investment and a core team of more than a hundred people. The two parties also jointly established an Innovation Lab, relying on the clinical trial platform of the Provincial People's Hospital to start from the operating table and pose questions to the laboratory, precisely addressing the pain point of disconnection between technological R&D and clinical needs.

Brain-computer interface, still in its infancy, is facing four major challenges: long industrial chains, high technical barriers, scattered enterprise distribution, and significant investment risks. Liu Yun, president of the Provincial People's Hospital and the lead unit of the Research Institute, stated that from its inception, the institute has been entrusted with national-level missions to overcome cutting-edge technologies, promote clinical transformation, cultivate industrial clusters, and create a development model. Up to now, Jiangsu brain-computer interface...New IndustryThe park has attracted 11 companies, covering key areas such as upstream optical devices, flexible optoelectronic materials, multimodal fusion algorithms, and the upgrading of the rehabilitation industry. Against the backdrop of regions actively laying out brain-computer interface technologies, Jiangsu has formed a unique advantage with its complete industrial chain foundation and deep industrial accumulation. By adopting a systematic integration and advancement model, it enables the synchronized interaction of technology, clinical application, manufacturing, and capital, providing fertile ground for the brain-computer interface industry to take root and thrive in Jiangsu.