BEIJING, July 13, 2026 — In a major move to elevate the quality and efficiency of China’s rehabilitation assistive device industry, 14 Chinese government agencies—including the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology—have jointly issued the Three-Year Action Plan for Expanding and Upgrading the Rehabilitation Assistive Device Industry (2026–2028) (hereinafter referred to as the Plan).

The Plan outlines a comprehensive roadmap to establish a robust, innovative, and market-driven industry landscape in China by 2028. This initiative is designed to provide critical structural support for China’s national strategies on actively responding to population aging, advancing the “Healthy China” initiative, and upgrading its manufacturing sector.

Clear Targets Set: Driving the Number of Major Enterprises Past 500

The Plan establishes concrete quantitative benchmarks for the development of China’s domestic industry over the next three years. By 2028, the initiatives aim to achieve:

Expanded Industrial Scale: China will strive to increase the number of scale-plus rehabilitation assistive device enterprises (those with annual main business revenues above a certain threshold) to over 500. The government will nurture a cohort of “Little Giant” enterprises (specialized and sophisticated SMEs) and individual manufacturing champions, while supporting eligible companies to secure financing through public listings.

Optimized Industrial Layout: The country will strengthen 6 to 8 key sub-sectors—including brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), healthcare/rehabilitation robotics, prosthetic orthoses, and hearing aids—break through 50 core technologies, and develop at least 80 flagship products.

Enhanced Support Infrastructure: China will publish over 60 new industry standards, cultivate professional testing and certification institutions, and build a multi-tiered service network covering both urban and rural areas.

Innovation-Driven Upgrades: Focus on Medicine-Engineering Integration

To transform advanced technology into new quality productive forces, China is prioritizing the integration of research with clinical needs:

Core Technological Breakthroughs: Leading Chinese enterprises are encouraged to tackle bottlenecks in neural interaction, intent decoding, intelligent sensing, precision control, and biomaterials. The Plan emphasizes deeply integrating cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence, BCIs, and flexible electronics with clinical rehabilitation demands.

Flagship Product R&D: Heavy support will be funneled into the domestic R&D of exoskeletons, care robots, smart bionic prosthetics, and virtual reality training equipment, aimed at accelerating high-end domestic substitution.

Streamlined Commercialization: Utilizing existing national platforms, China will construct concept verification and pilot-testing centers to bridge the gap between laboratory prototypes and mass-market products.

Expanding Application Scenarios: Creating a Network Bridging Urban and Rural China

To ensure that high-quality products effectively benefit the public, the Plan rolls out targeted demonstration actions:

Cross-Scenario Integration: The government will expand “Rehabilitation Assistive Devices +” applications across elderly care, disability support, healthcare, education, and transportation, encouraging large-scale deployments in institutional, community, and home settings.

Pervasive Service Networks: China will promote a “Hub-and-Spoke” (Center + Station) service model. Commercial complexes, e-commerce platforms, and supermarkets will be guided to set up dedicated consumer zones, alongside the aggressive development of customized services and shared-leasing models.

Regional Industrial Clusters: China will focus on building specialized industrial clusters in key economic zones, including the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, and Central China.

Robust Policy Safeguards: Financial Support, Medical Insurance, and Talent Pipelines

To guarantee the smooth implementation of the three-year plan, Chinese authorities will coordinate a multi-dimensional support system:

Financial and Tax Incentives: The government will enhance financing convenience for small and micro-enterprises and implement corporate income tax exemptions for enterprises manufacturing or assembling specialized products for individuals with disabilities.

Expanded Insurance Coverage: Eligible therapeutic rehabilitation assistive devices will be progressively integrated into China’s basic medical insurance payment scope. Furthermore, authorities will explore incorporating smart services and supportive devices into China’s long-term care insurance system.

Talent Development Pipelines: China will establish a National Expert Advisory Committee led by academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering. Universities and vocational schools are encouraged to establish specialized majors in rehabilitation engineering, while professional titles (such as certified prosthetists and orthotists) will be introduced to refine the professional evaluation system.

The release of this Plan marks the beginning of a high-quality, transformative three-year period for China’s rehabilitation assistive device industry, leveraging supply-side structural reforms to unleash massive market potential and meet the population’s diverse health demands.