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Recently, the Digital Life and Brain-Computer Intelligence Innovation Exchange Conference was held in the Biomedical Valley of Jiangbei New District, Nanjing. Nearly 150 academicians and experts in the field of brain science, as well as industry pioneers, gathered at the foot of Longwang Mountain to jointly kick off a professional dialogue about the brain and the future.
At the conference site, the focus was on cutting-edge topics such as brain-computer interfaces and digital life. The discussion was lively throughout the venue. The Joint Laboratory of Brain Intelligence and the Brain-Computer Interface Public Service Platform were successively established, and the first入驻 projects made on-stage signings. On this future track of brain science， Nanjing is making strategic deployments and moving forward.
Advanced platforms have been successfully launched one after another.
When it comes to the most challenging fields of modern scientific research, brain science is undoubtedly one of them. As the focus of global scientific research, many scenarios that were once only found in science fiction movies have now become a reality: Through brain-computer interface technology, people can play chess with their “thoughts”, and patients with high-level paralysis can also control computers and smart homes with their minds…
Making the impossible possible is precisely the charm of brain science. However, this cutting-edge exploration of the “brain world” is extremely complex, and every step is like “opening up new paths” – observing the brain, decoding the brain. Basic research is the core engine driving industrial development.
The key highlight of this conference is closely related to this. On the spot, the “Multimodal Cross-Scale Biomedical Imaging Facility – Nanjing Brain Intelligence Joint Laboratory” was inaugurated.
It is introduced that this joint laboratory is jointly established by the Nanjing Translational Research Institute of Molecular Medicine of Peking University, the National Center for Biomedical Imaging Sciences of Peking University, and the Biomedical Valley of Jiangbei New District. It will leverage the large-scale scientific facilities and advanced imaging technologies built by Professor Cheng Heping’s team to collect and integrate massive multi-modal cross-scale brain function data, promoting the evolution of brain observation towards brain-like intelligence. In short, this laboratory will focus on revealing the underlying secrets of brain operation and provide valuable “metadata” for the transformation of brain-like intelligence.
In the field of basic research, heavyweight laboratories have been established. But how can efforts be directed toward industrial transformation? At the conference, the “Brain-Computer Interface Public Service Platform” was launched, with the first batch of projects signed and settled in.
This platform is jointly established by the National University Biopharmaceutical Regional Technology Transfer Center (Nanjing, Jiangsu) and the Peking University Molecular Medicine Nanjing Transformation Institute. It aims to pool the top-tier research resources and professional service strengths of both parties to tackle the challenges of translating brain-computer interface technological achievements into practical applications.
The Jiangbei New Area Digital Life and Brain-Computer Intelligence Fund was also simultaneously launched. It will focus on supporting early-stage research and the transformation of achievements in cutting-edge fields such as brain-inspired intelligence, digital life, and brain-computer interfaces, helping innovative teams bridge the critical gap from laboratory research to industrial application.
With cutting-edge platforms emerging one after another and industrial funds swiftly established, there is comprehensive support spanning from basic research and technological development to the transformation of results. A broad landscape for the industrialization of brain science is gradually unfolding along the northern bank of the Yangtze River.
“The Industrial Forest” Flourishes
A conference has brought Jiangbei’s brain science industry into the spotlight of the sector. The dense concentration of cutting-edge platforms and high-quality projects landing here would not be possible without the systematic cultivation that Jiangbei New Area has devoted to the field of brain science over the years. On this fertile ground, a group of top-tier “brain” resources has long taken root and flourished.
The conference host—the Peking University Molecular Medicine Nanjing Transformation Institute—is a key force in brain science research in Jiangbei New Area. Under the leadership of Academician Cheng Heping, the institute focuses on deep exploration and original innovation in the uncharted territory of the brain. It established the Nanjing Brain Observatory and independently developed new types of miniaturized two-photon and three-photon microscopes, as well as multi-color miniaturized two-photon microscopes. It has taken the lead in building an innovation foundation for brain science research in Jiangbei.
Looking along this industrial chain, there are also a number of outstanding enterprises moving forward: Bo Ya, which specializes in brain-computer interfaces and cognitive training; Han Xiang Technology and Xing Kang Medical, which focus on brain function rehabilitation and digital therapies; Yi Ai Medical, which independently develops real-time monitoring products for cerebral vascular risks; Jing Ruikang, which provides high-end brain imaging technology and services; and Xian Sheng Pharmaceutical, which has continuously achieved significant results in the research and development of new drugs for central nervous system diseases…
Previously, Jiangbei New District was also approved to build the “Jiangsu Province Brain Intelligence Innovation Center”, as the only provincial-level industrial innovation center approved in this field, it is actively laying out in the industrial fields such as brain-computer interfaces and brain health.
This time, through the joint establishment of a laboratory with the national biomedical imaging large facility, it is precisely to introduce the original achievements of Chinese scientists as important innovation resources into Jiangbei New District as an important research platform. Some brain-computer interface applications developed for stroke and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients, as well as the implementation and transformation of cutting-edge technologies such as “flexible electronic skin” for robot tactile perception, are all being fully promoted in Jiangbei New District.
On the northern bank of the Yangtze River, the story of brain science is unfolding in an exciting manner.
The brain is the most complex and exquisite “cosmos” in nature and is the key to understanding life sciences. Led by top-notch innovative resources and supported by key scientific and technological innovation platforms, Nanjing, which is actively laying out research on brain-like systems and industrialization, will produce more scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation achievements.
