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The “15th Five-Year Plan” recommendations clearly identify brain-computer interfaces (BCI) as one of the six major future industries, marking the upgrade of BCI from a frontier technology exploration field to a new engine of national economic growth. At present, China’s BCI industry layout is characterized by multi-point development and differentiated competition. Many regions are actively seizing this strategic emerging sector through systematic policy guidance, platform construction, and ecosystem cultivation. So, what machine tools and equipment are needed to process and manufacture products in this emerging industry?

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Major Breakthrough

According to China Daily, the research teams led by Chang Honglong and Ji Bowen at Northwestern Polytechnical University recently announced a key breakthrough in their three-dimensional conical carbon-based flexible cortical electrode array. The technology has successfully solved several core problems that have long restricted industry development, including brain tissue damage, signal attenuation, and poor biocompatibility. It has also completed the world’s first technical verification in a space environment, opening up new paths for the clinical translation and aerospace application of brain-computer interfaces, and demonstrating China’s top-level innovation strength in the field of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS).

In response to key challenges of traditional minimally invasive implantable cortical electrodes, such as low flexibility, poor contact with brain tissue, and the tendency of metals to corrode or even dissolve and fail during long-term implantation, the Northwestern Polytechnical University team has conducted years of dedicated research and innovatively developed a three-dimensional conical carbon-based flexible cortical electrode array.

Animal experiments show that the electrode can collect signals more stably, with key performance indicators improved by hundreds of times compared with traditional metal electrodes. It can safely perform long-term stimulation and regulation, and can also be safely used in ultra-high-field magnetic resonance imaging examinations. At present, the electrode has passed certification by a third-party medical device quality inspection institute. Its biocompatibility and long-term implantation stability meet medical standards, paving the way for future long-term clinical applications.

Brain-computer interface technology establishes a direct communication channel between the brain and external devices. It is commonly used to assist, enhance, or restore human sensory-motor functions, or to improve human-machine interaction capabilities. At present, it is mainly being tested and applied in the medical field. According to implantation conditions, brain-computer interfaces can be divided into invasive, non-invasive, and semi-invasive types.

The year 2025, which has just passed, has been regarded by the industry as the “first year” of China’s brain-computer interface development. In May 2025, Shanghai JieTi Medical Technology Co., Ltd. released progress on the prospective clinical trial of its ultra-flexible minimally invasive implantable BCI system. In June, the world’s first interventional BCI-assisted human limb motor function restoration trial, led by Professor Duan Feng’s team from Nankai University, was completed. In November, Wuhan Zhonghua Brain-Computer Fusion Technology Development Co., Ltd., in cooperation with Union Hospital affiliated with Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, completed the first clinical implantation surgery of a fully independently developed BCI chip. Brain-computer interface technology innovation is becoming increasingly aligned with patient needs, and a series of clinical breakthroughs have been achieved.

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More New Technologies Are Accelerating from Laboratories to Clinical Applications

Recently, Mingce Brain-Computer Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. released its self-developed implantable BCI visual reconstruction system, bringing new hope of vision restoration to visually impaired patients.

The second clinical trial of an invasive brain-computer interface, conducted by the Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in cooperation with relevant institutions, has made new progress. Technically, it has achieved a major transformation from two-dimensional screen cursor control to three-dimensional interaction with the physical world.

Shanghai NeuroXess Co., Ltd. announced that its independently developed product—the first fully implantable, fully wireless, full-function BCI device with a built-in battery in China and the second of its kind internationally—has successfully completed its first clinical trial. In a game match against a paralyzed patient implanted with the device, Tao Hu, the company’s founder and chief scientist, was unexpectedly defeated. “We firmly believe that brain-computer interfaces are not tools for showing off technology, but bridges connecting life and hope,” Tao Hu said.

Driven by both technological implementation and favorable policies, investment enthusiasm in the BCI field continues to rise. According to incomplete statistics from the VCBeat database, from January to November 2025, China’s brain-computer interface sector completed 24 financing deals, a year-on-year increase of 30%. Over the past five years, nearly 100 financing events have taken place in China’s BCI sector, with total financing exceeding RMB 10 billion.

Data from the China Center for Information Industry Development shows that China’s BCI market size reached RMB 3.2 billion in 2024, up 18.8% year on year, and is expected to reach RMB 5.58 billion by 2027, with a growth rate of 20%.

At the beginning of this year, Elon Musk announced on social media that Neuralink, the brain-computer interface company he founded, plans to achieve mass production of BCI devices in 2026.

Machine Tool Equipment Required for Brain-Computer Interface Manufacturing

It is understood that the manufacturing of brain-computer interfaces involves a variety of precision processing technologies and requires different types of processing equipment. Among the most commonly used are photolithography machines, which are used to manufacture patterned structures of microelectrode arrays and chips; thin-film deposition equipment, which is used to deposit biocompatible coatings on electrode surfaces; and micro-nano processing equipment, which is used for precise etching and processing of micro-nano structures to achieve miniaturization and complex structural fabrication of electrodes.

In addition, the following types of machine tools and equipment are also required:

Precision laser processing equipment:
Laser cutting machines and laser welding machines are used to process BCI housings, electrode leads, and other components. Through high-precision cutting and welding, they ensure device sealing and reliability while reducing thermal damage to neural tissue.

CNC lathes and milling machines:
These are used to process mechanical structural components of brain-computer interfaces, such as implant housings and brackets. High precision and high surface quality are required to ensure device stability and biocompatibility.

Grinding machines:
Grinding machines are used for fine grinding and polishing of electrode and chip surfaces. They reduce surface roughness, improve electrode conductivity and biocompatibility, and ensure chip flatness and precision.

Electrical discharge machining equipment:
Electrical discharge machines (EDM) can be used to process electrodes and components made of high-hardness materials. Through electro-erosion, EDM enables high-precision machining of complex-shaped parts and is suitable for the processing needs of certain special-material components in brain-computer interfaces.

Precision positioning and motion control equipment:
High-precision linear stages, multi-axis control systems, and similar equipment are used in BCI implantation surgical robots or experimental devices. They enable sub-micron positioning accuracy and dynamic stability, ensuring that electrodes can be precisely implanted into specific areas of the brain.

Together, these devices form the core process equipment for brain-computer interface manufacturing. Their precision and performance directly affect the quality and reliability of brain-computer interface products.

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Major BQI Breakthrough: Its Manufacturing Secret Lies Precision Machine Tools

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