Tianjin builds BCI innovation hub

Tianjin has officially inaugurated a dedicated Brain-Computer Interface Industrial Cluster at the 2026 World Intelligence Expo, signaling an aggressive push to accelerate frontier neuroscience from laboratory settings into the global commercial market.

The launch, finalized on May 29, coincides with a newly issued municipal action plan spanning 2026 to 2030.

Under the strategy, Tianjin has committed 100 million yuan ($14.8 million) in dedicated annual funding to bankroll the entire BCI pipeline, from early-stage enterprise incubation to full-scale technology commercialization.

"We are committed to building a nationally leading brain-computer interface industrial cluster," said Mei Zhihong, deputy director of the Tianjin Science and Technology Bureau.

To demonstrate the real-world efficacy of the technology underpinning this industrial push, officials highlighted recent clinical trials at Tianjin Huanhu Hospital.

In May, a 67-year-old stroke patient who had been walking with a cane for nearly two years underwent a targeted neural rehabilitation program using a BCI system called Shengong Shenchi.

The system captures electroencephalogram signals generated when a patient attempts to move, processing the neural intent to drive a robotic exoskeleton that guides the affected limbs.

The system integrates multiple neural rehabilitation technologies and is designed specifically for stroke patients who have hit a wall in their recovery.

Following just 12 days of BCI-assisted training, the patient was able to walk unassisted without using his cane.

The system represents years of fundamental research led by the Tianjin Brain-Computer Interface Industry Group, and driven by technology from the Haihe Laboratory of Brain-Computer Interaction and Human-Machine Integration.

With Tianjin Huanhu Hospital and other top-tier hospitals, rehabilitation centers and eldercare facilities serving as clinical application bases, Tianjin has established an integrated innovation ecosystem linking research, industry, clinical trials and real-world deployment.

Multiple laboratory breakthroughs have already seen preliminary application across areas including motor rehabilitation, psychiatry, audiovisual diagnostics and disability assessment, validated through clinical research at 13 top-tier tertiary hospitals, including Tianjin Huanhu Hospital and the Tianjin Medical University General Hospital.

Spanning neuroscience, materials engineering and numerous other disciplines, BCI represents one of the most closely watched frontier technologies in the world today, as well as a highly competitive emerging industry.

Chang Xinyue, director of the new economy bureau in Tianjin's Binhai New Area, said that the high-tech zone serves as the core hub for Tianjin's future BCI industry and is among the earliest places in China to systematically advance BCI research and commercialization.

To date, 22 BCI technology companies have been incubated in the zone, with independent innovation capabilities spanning core electronic components, high-end chips, foundational software and key underlying systems.

Zhou Feiran contributed to this story.

yandongjie@chinadaily.com.cn