Core Viewpoint - The new export control policy in 2024 marks a new stage of technological protection for the industry, shifting the policy focus from scale expansion to the construction of an innovation ecosystem through collaboration between industry, academia, and research [1]. Policy Evolution and Development Planning - The development of superhard materials in China can be divided into four stages: initiation, growth, accelerated development, and transformation breakthrough. The initiation phase began with the inclusion of superhard materials in the national strategic emerging industries during the "12th Five-Year Plan" in 2012. The growth phase was marked by the clear distinction of superhard materials in "Made in China 2025," which emphasized the need to overcome high-performance diamond and cubic boron nitride (CBN) preparation technologies. The accelerated development phase saw the emergence of "bottleneck" risk awareness from 2018 to 2020, leading to multiple regulations and guidelines that clarified the project's status and encouraged development. Since the "14th Five-Year Plan" in 2021, the industry has entered a transformation breakthrough phase, aiming to overcome high-end production technology challenges with the help of the existing upstream supply chain [2][3]. Differentiated Development Pattern Led by Henan - Henan Province has prioritized the development of the superhard materials industry, implementing policies such as "Six New Breakthroughs in Manufacturing" and "High-end Materials Cluster Construction Action Plan." The province focuses on high-end products like gem-grade and functional diamonds, supporting enterprises in increasing technological innovation and R&D investment. Comprehensive measures, including the establishment of national and provincial innovation platforms, collaboration among leading enterprises, and financial subsidies, are enhancing the overall industry chain cooperation level. Henan aims to transition from "quantity leading" to "quality leading" and "high-end application breakthroughs," solidifying its core position in the superhard materials industry both nationally and globally [5]. Industry Development Goals and Strategies - By 2025, the goal is to form a trillion-level industry chain and establish the world's largest superhard materials R&D and production base, cultivating a national-level industry cluster and striving for an internationally leading industry chain. The industry is expected to upgrade from traditional manufacturing to high-end, intelligent, and green production, promoting vertical extension (from raw materials to end products) and horizontal expansion (cross-industry integration with 5G, chips, medical, and biological fields) [6]. Innovation-Driven Strategy Upgrade - In recent years, Henan has emphasized technological innovation and high-end breakthroughs in the superhard materials industry, focusing on composite superhard materials, high-end diamond products, and polycrystalline diamond composites. The province is increasing policy and financial support, promoting technological breakthroughs and the transformation of results. Additionally, Henan is facilitating deep integration of superhard materials with high-value industries such as chip manufacturing, 5G communication, and biomedical fields, enhancing the innovation ecosystem and strengthening intellectual property protection and standard system construction [7]. Funding-Driven Market Ecosystem Integration - In response to rapid global technological advancements and the trend of high-quality industrial development, Henan's superhard materials industry policy will further deepen towards intelligent manufacturing, digital transformation, and green low-carbon directions. Future focus areas include intelligent equipment and automation production, cross-industry applications of superhard materials in new energy, semiconductors, and healthcare, as well as the promotion of green low-carbon processes. The policy is expected to strongly promote international cooperation and standardization, supporting leading enterprises in participating in international rule-making and integrating into the "Belt and Road" industrial network [9]. Policy Support Trends - The policy content is shifting from broad industry scale support to precise technological breakthroughs and support for high-end segments of the industry chain, emphasizing the construction of an industrial ecosystem. The government-led industry support is gradually integrating market mechanisms, encouraging social capital participation in the construction of the innovation ecosystem. Future policies will highlight the deep integration of intelligent manufacturing, digital transformation, and low-carbon green manufacturing with the superhard materials industry, promoting cross-industry innovation with cutting-edge technologies [10].

Core Viewpoint - By 2025, the global superhard materials industry will exhibit a development pattern characterized by "dual-track technological competition and diversified application expansion," with the research and development of nanocrystalline diamond and new superhard compounds becoming the technological high ground. The industry is accelerating its transition towards emerging fields such as semiconductors and quantum computing [1]. Technological Development - The technological development of superhard materials dates back to the 1950s, beginning with the successful synthesis of diamonds using high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) techniques. The first controllable synthetic diamonds were produced by ASEA in Sweden and GE in the USA in 1953 and 1954, respectively [2]. - The introduction of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technology in the 1980s allowed for the low-pressure synthesis of diamond films, expanding material options for electronic devices, thermal management, and precision machining [2]. - Recent advancements in nanocrystalline structures have significantly enhanced the performance of superhard materials, with nanocrystalline diamonds achieving Vickers hardness levels of 180-200 GPa, making them one of the hardest known synthetic materials [4]. Research Trends - Between 2020 and 2025, a total of 1,758 effective documents were collected, with 1,078 focusing on diamonds and 687 on cubic boron nitride (cBN), indicating a significantly higher research interest in diamonds compared to cBN [7]. - The core technologies in the superhard materials industry are concentrated in material synthesis processes, structural optimization methods, and multifunctional composites [8]. Industry Dynamics - The main synthesis technologies in the superhard materials industry are HPHT and CVD, each suited for different applications. HPHT focuses on yield and cost control, while CVD offers unique advantages in electronics, optics, and high-end cutting tools [8]. - The industry is moving towards a collaborative evolution of high strength, high toughness, multifunctionality, and low cost, supporting the deep expansion of superhard materials in aerospace, precision machining, and electronic devices [10]. Emerging Applications - The development trend indicates that CVD technology is advancing towards larger sizes, higher quality, and lower costs, particularly in the production of single crystal diamonds. New unconventional synthesis methods, such as liquid-phase and microwave plasma methods, are also emerging [11]. - Research on diamond applications in emerging fields such as semiconductors, quantum computing, high-power optics, and water treatment is rapidly growing, becoming a new frontier in research [11]. Competitive Landscape - While Western countries maintain a lead in high-pressure equipment and the stability of HPHT/CVD processes, China is quickly narrowing the gap. In the field of nanocrystalline cBN and diamonds, foreign achievements are more pronounced, but breakthroughs are expected from Chinese teams by 2025 [11][12]. - China has strong global competitiveness in supply chains and raw materials, although it may face risks related to low-end product exports due to supply chain concentration [12].