BCI Moves from Lab to Application - Yuanqing Li: The GBA Empowers Enterprise Development
The live demonstration of brain-computer interface ("BCI") technology by Neuralink, a company founded by Elon Musk, makes BCI more widely known. On the path where this "breakthrough tech" moves from the lab to industrialization, Chinese companies have already explored new approaches. South China Brain Control (Guangdong) Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. ("HNNK") has achieved rapid application of industrial achievements with its non-invasive BCI technology. Now, HNNK's products cover diverse sectors such as care for the aged & disabled, and mental health, while GBA's location and policy advantages are providing HNNK with broad space for collaborative development.
"BCI is a cutting-edge technology that benefits humankind." said Mr. Yuanqing Li, Chairman of HNNK. Currently, multiple non-invasive BCI products that have been launched and marketed are applied in multiple sectors like care for the aged & disabled, mental health, military & aerospace, public security, culture & entertainment, and education. According to Mr. Li, the products on the market not only include assistive devices for the disabled such as brain-controlled mice, brain-controlled wheelchairs and smart wards, but also feature the development of China's first BCI-based wearable mindfulness meditation device which can prevent people from motion sickness, relieve tinnitus and alleviate depression and anxiety, etc., and consistently rank first in user reviews among products of the same type on Amazon.
"China has a large population of elderly people, individuals with mental health issues and those suffering from sleep disorders. As the target groups for BCI technology, they have opened up a vast space where the BCI technology can play an important role." said Mr. Li. He believes that BCI products, in the near future, will be accessible to every family in their daily life.
Looking back on the journey of development, Mr. Li expressed his admiration that the GBA's advantages in education, healthcare and industrial chains have fully empowered enterprises. From the flexible technology transfer policies at South China University of Technology to the complete and efficient industrial chains in the Pearl River Delta, companies can complete the entire process from R&D to mass production "at their doorstep" without traveling far, making the implementation of innovation more efficient.
Amid the coordinated industrial development in the GBA, Mr. Li expressed his optimism about Nansha's development potential. He stated that Nansha, which is located at the geographical center of the GBA, and adjacent to Shenzhen, Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR, boasts not only a vibrant economy, convenient transportation and a wonderful climate of innovation, but also shows robust competitiveness in multiple sections such as R&D cost and talent attraction. "If suitable opportunities arise in the future, we will certainly consider carrying out commercialization of achievements and industrial layout in Nansha."
Now, Nansha is being committed to fostering a vibrant "rainforest-style" innovation ecosystem, the outcomes of which can be seen from a set of data: a rise to 37.8% in the added value of strategic emerging industries in the GDP, a rise to 5.48% in the R&D investment intensity, and an annual average rise by 21.5% in the number of high-tech enterprises which has exceeded 1,300 in total. With an increasing number of high-level sci-tech innovation platforms taking root here, a technology innovation system is rapidly taking shape with Nansha as its hub, injecting sustained momentum into the development of future industries.