China has assumed a leading role in shaping global standards for brain-computer interface (BCI) technology, reflecting its broader ambitions to become a dominant player in this emerging field. The country now chairs the secretariat of ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 43, a joint subcommittee of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), tasked with developing international standards for brain-computer communication and interaction.
The subcommittee, led by Yu Yuntao, a former department head at the China Electronics Standardisation Institute, has already released key standards covering the BCI vocabulary, data formats for non-invasive brain information collection, system architecture, and practical use cases. These frameworks are intended to be applicable across a wide range of BCI applications, setting a global benchmark for the industry.
China’s government has identified BCI as a strategic sector under its 15th Five-Year Plan, marking it as one of six industries poised for future growth. For the first time this year, BCI technology was formally highlighted in the government work report delivered to the National People’s Congress. In a circular issued Wednesday, Chinese authorities called for accelerated industrialization and commercialization of BCI as a critical frontier technology.
Analysts note that China aims to expand its BCI industry beyond domestic markets, particularly for advanced products such as approved invasive and non-invasive brain devices. Altynay Junusova, an analyst at the Berlin-based Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS), said the Chinese government’s leadership in ISO standards efforts is seen as a means of influencing global BCI market conditions. “Chinese policymakers want to help the industry scale up, ahead of the United States and Europe,” she said, emphasizing the strategic importance of standard-setting in shaping competitive advantages.
Echoing this sentiment, Lu Xiaoming, director of geo-technology at Eurasia Group, pointed out that ISO standards carry significant commercial weight, describing the China-led subcommittee’s work as “a very meaningful step for Chinese and global BCI companies.” Lu also observed that China’s technology investment strategies closely mirror those of Elon Musk, co-founder of the US-based BCI company Neuralink, with Chinese firms rapidly following Musk’s research trajectory. “The Chinese government views Elon Musk as a tech visionary,” Lu said.
In July, Shanghai-based Neuracle Medical Technology performed what it described as the world’s first commercial brain-computer interface surgery, highlighting China’s advances in practical applications. Meanwhile, Washington’s engagement with the BCI sector appears limited, with attention focused more on established technologies such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence models. Nonetheless, the United States has participated in the development of ISO standards for BCI, reflecting ongoing international collaboration.
Market projections from the China Centre for Information Industry Development estimate the country’s BCI market will reach 6.4 billion yuan (approximately HK$72 billion) by 2028, expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 17.7 percent between 2024 and 2028. This growth underscores the Chinese government’s commitment to positioning the country at the forefront of brain-computer interface technology worldwide.