- Province seeks to accelerate commercialization through AI integration and healthcare reform
- Officials target stronger funding, talent and real-world deployment
Zhejiang is stepping up support for the brain-computer interface (BCI) industry, with provincial officials pledging stronger policy backing, closer integration with AI and broader real-world deployment as the technology emerges as a strategic priority for China.
At a provincial government executive meeting chaired by Governor Liu Jie on June 29, officials described BCI as one of the emerging industries identified in China’s 15th Five-Year Plan.
BCI is also seen as an area where Zhejiang is well positioned to establish a competitive advantage.
A thriving BCI hub
Zhejiang has emerged as one of China’s leading BCI hubs. By the end of 2025, the province held 1,058 valid BCI invention patents, with more than 90% concentrated in Hangzhou.
Homegrown companies including BrainCo (强脑科技), RoboCT (程天科技) and GenLight Medical (佳量医疗) generated more than 2 billion yuan in combined revenue during 2025.
In June 2026, Hangzhou launched China’s first competition focused on integrating BCIs with the country’s medical insurance system, featuring applications ranging from brain-controlled drones and wheelchairs to robotic arms.
Policy boost
Zhejiang was also the first province to include fees for non-invasive BCI adaptation under public medical insurance reimbursement.
The province said it will build on the current policy framework and expand support for fundamental research in BCI by leveraging its research institutions and leading technology companies.
Meanwhile, Zhejiang seeks to attract more talent and encourage collaboration across academia and industry.
At the June 29 meeting, officials also called for efforts to remove barriers to commercialization by streamlining agreements, improve medical insurance policies and encourage commercial insurers to support BCI applications, with the aim of creating more accessible deployment scenarios.
Integrating AI with BCI
A key focus will be integrating AI with BCIs. Zhejiang plans to leverage the national AI pilot base in Hangzhou and encourage BCI developers to work with foundation model companies and embodied AI firms.
The goal is to position AI as the primary driver of large-scale commercialization in BCI.
The province also pledged stronger financial support, greater participation from private capital, expanded international cooperation and enhanced regulatory oversight to foster a sustainable BCI ecosystem.
