Shanghai's brain-computer interface industrial hub marks first anniversary

Shanghai's Neuro Space, the city's dedicated brain-computer interface (BCI) industrial hub, has attracted 51 innovative companies in its first year, underscoring the city's growing strength in this emerging industry.

The milestone was announced at a conference on June 27 at the Hongqiao International Medical Center, where local officials reviewed the progress of Shanghai's future BCI industrial cluster and launched several new platforms and partnerships.

Since opening a year ago, Neuro Space has established a comprehensive innovation ecosystem spanning research, clinical validation, and commercialization. The park is now home to companies developing both invasive and non-invasive BCI technologies, as well as providers of clinical services and testing.

More than 11 national-level research projects have been introduced to the cluster, while 119 high-level professionals have joined the ecosystem. Several core products have entered clinical trials or are approaching approval as Class III medical devices.

At the conference, Huashan Hospital and Landseed Rehabilitation Hospital jointly launched a BCI clinical ward to support clinical applications and rehabilitation. A brainwave data platform also began operation, providing researchers with access to more than 100,000 electroencephalogram (EEG) cases totaling over 2 petabytes of data for research and AI model training.

Other initiatives included the launch of a graduate training base, an industry alliance, and new application projects focused on sleep intervention, mental rehabilitation, and adolescent mental health.

Local officials said Shanghai will continue strengthening public service platforms, expanding clinical research facilities, and promoting real-world applications to build a world-class BCI innovation ecosystem.