China has stepped up its race to develop brain-computer interface technology, approving a series of brain-related devices as it seeks to challenge Elon Musk’s Neuralink and establish itself as a global leader in the emerging field.

Chinese health regulators have approved several brain-technology products this year, allowing domestic companies to move beyond laboratory research and clinical trials into commercial applications.

Brain-computer interfaces, or BCIs, are technologies that translate electrical signals from the brain into commands that can control computers, robotic equipment and other devices. They are being developed for applications ranging from helping people with paralysis regain movement to diagnosing neurological and cognitive disorders.

One of China’s biggest breakthroughs came in March, when the National Medical Products Administration approved NEO, an implantable BCI developed by Shanghai-based Neuracle Technology.

The coin-sized device is designed for people with severe paralysis caused by cervical spinal cord injuries. It is implanted above the brain and captures neural signals generated when a patient attempts to move their hand.

Those signals are then decoded and used to control a pneumatic robotic glove, allowing patients to perform movements such as grasping objects, picking up items and drinking water.

The approval was significant because it was reported as the world’s first market authorisation for an invasive BCI medical device for commercial use.

China later reached another milestone in July when surgeons performed what was described as the world’s first commercial implantation of an approved invasive BCI. The procedure involved a patient who had lost hand mobility following a spinal cord injury.

Chinese authorities have also approved less-invasive brain technologies.

In August, the country’s regulator approved a device developed by Tianjin-based Tiankai Suishi Intelligent Technology. The system consists of a cap fitted with electrodes that can monitor electrical activity in the brain and assist doctors in assessing cognitive functions.

The company is also developing BCI systems aimed at supporting the early diagnosis of conditions linked to cognitive impairment, while seeking approval for technology related to depression diagnosis.

The developments form part of a broader Chinese government strategy to make BCI a major future industry. Beijing has identified the sector as a strategic area and wants China to have a leading position globally by 2030.

Chinese authorities have also introduced measures aimed at speeding up the approval and commercialisation of BCI products, while investment in the sector continues to increase.

The rapid progress has placed Chinese technology companies in direct competition with Neuralink, the California-based company founded by Musk.

Neuralink has been testing its brain implants in human patients, including people with paralysis. Its trials have demonstrated the ability of participants to control computers using neural signals, with the company also working toward controlling assistive robotic devices through brain activity.

While China has moved ahead in securing commercial approval for an invasive BCI, the two technologies are not identical. Neuralink’s implant uses electrodes that penetrate brain tissue, while China’s NEO device is positioned on the surface of the brain’s protective membrane, a design intended to reduce direct damage to brain tissue.

China’s progress therefore marks an important development in the growing global competition over brain-computer technology, an industry that could eventually transform how people with disabilities interact with computers, robotic devices and other technologies.