A groundbreaking brain‑computer interface (BCI) trial in Shanghai has given a quadriplegic patient the power to steer a smart wheelchair and command a robot dog simply with thoughts, thanks to a tiny implant developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fudan University’s Huashan Hospital, and Ladder Medical. The success marks a milestone for a rapidly expanding BCI ecosystem that launched the "Brain & Intelligence World" cluster in June 2025, now boasting the nation’s first clinical‑trial consortium, verification platform, invasive brainwave database (iBRAIN), dedicated policy framework, and industry‑fund matrix. Meanwhile, Shanghai scientists have set a new world record in neutral‑atom quantum computing. Using AI‑driven atom‑rearrangement techniques, a team led by researchers from USTC and the Shanghai AI Lab built defect‑free 2‑D and 3‑D arrays of up to 2,024 atoms in just 60 milliseconds, a leap forward for scalable quantum processors. On the energy front, China Fusion Energy Co. and startup Xinhuaneng are betting on nuclear fusion. Xinhuaneng secured a 1 billion‑yuan funding round in early 2026 to develop a spherical tokamak in Jiading, aiming for engineering verification by 2028 and a power‑producing demonstration reactor around 2032. Together, these advances showcase Shanghai’s drive to turn futuristic science into everyday reality.
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