BEIJING, March 11. /TASS/. Authorities in the southern Chinese province of Hainan have announced specific measures to ensure the accelerated development of the industry of medical devices involving the brain-computer interface (BCI) technology and form an advanced high-tech sector as part of a program to build a free trade port, the Nanhai news outlet reported.
According to the provincial drug regulator, a document titled “Several Measures to Support the High-Quality Development of the Industry of Medical Devices Involving the Brain-Computer Interface Technology" covers five key areas, including standardization, clinical transformation, targeted support for innovative companies, promotion of local research, and data security.
The program’s priorities include the establishment of a working group on BCI standardization with the participation of universities and enterprises and the acceleration of clinical validation in the Lecheng Pilot Zone, as well as the introduction of a research ethics review mechanism. In addition, enterprises will be able to get personal expert support and use fast-track channels for product inspection and registration, while researchers will be provided with the opportunity to participate in startup projects on a shared basis and through knowledge exchange at cross-disciplinary seminars.
Special attention is paid to personal data protection and information security, as well as to risk monitoring and the promotion of insurance coverage for innovations, the media outlet notes. The provincial authorities emphasize that the measures aim to create a competitive high-tech BCI cluster in Hainan, attract investment, and improve the quality of scientific and technical research, which is supposed to contribute to enhancing the status of a free trade port.