The UK and Japan have announced a major package of science and technology collaborations.
The announcements were confirmed during the Prime Minister’s visit to Japan. These announcements span life sciences, quantum and connectivity tech. The projects are geared towards developing cures for rare genetic diseases and bringing ultra-fast mobile coverage to every part of the UK.
Leaders also agreed to hold the Japan-UK Joint Committee on Cooperation in Science and Technology for the first time in three years, and to establish a new space consultation.
Orchard Therapeutics, the UK subsidiary of Japanese company Kyowa Kirin, is set to invest around £11 million in the UK. Subject to final agreement of terms and conditions of the UK government’s Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund, the funding will go towards the discovery of new drugs which could treat and beat diseases.
Science Minister Lord Vallance said:
“These announcements, covering life sciences, quantum and more, spotlight some of the key science-driven industries in which the UK and Japan are working together. The prizes on offer include new therapies for diseases that were previously considered untreatable, and critical infrastructure for the digital age.
“It’s crucial that British and Japanese scientific and commercial partnerships continue to flourish, so we can grow our economies, create jobs, and give hope to patients battling some of the cruellest diseases.”
The investment by Kyowa Kirin into Orchard Therapeutics paves the way for gene therapies for devastating illnesses to be researched and developed in the UK.
It builds on the success of Libmeldy (atidarsagene autotemcel), a revolutionary treatment developed by the company to treat children with metachromatic leukodystrophy. This rare and fatal genetic disease causes severe damage to the affected child’s nervous system and organs, but Orchard’s gene therapy, which is available on the NHS, saves lives by inserting working copies of a faulty gene in a patient’s own blood stem cells.
British genomics firm, Oxford Nanopore Technologies, will enter into a multi-year strategic partnership with Japanese genetic testing provider Genesis Healthcare (A.D.A.M Innovations). Following a UK Government-led engineering biology trade mission to Japan in October 2025, the two companies are agreeing Heads of Terms to initiate a national pilot focused on transforming screening for rare diseases.
The UK and Japan are also launching three new joint quantum technology research projects, bringing together leading researchers from both countries to address challenges ranging from drug discovery and secure communications, to navigation in environments where GPS is unavailable.
The projects – ranging from work on quantum computers, to more accurate quantum sensors, to work laying the foundations of a future quantum internet – are jointly funded by £4.5 million from the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and just over £5.2 million from the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST).
The Prime Minister also announced a £6 million UK–Japan research programme on advanced connectivity technologies, jointly funded by both governments.
These technologies will help to provide seamless coverage so that everyone can access digital services wherever they are, and ensure networks can reliably withstand cyberthreats and natural disasters.
The programme is backed by £3 million from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, matched by £3 million from the Japanese Government. It will focus on artificial intelligence in telecoms, non‑terrestrial networks like satellite internet, and ‘optical’ networks that promise to deliver ultra-high capacity and energy efficiency.
