UK–Japan Healthcare and Life Sciences Symposium showcases innovation, collaboration, and future opportunities
On 17 June 2025, Whittlebury Hall and Spa welcomed senior figures from government, academia, healthcare, and industry for the UK–Japan Healthcare and Life Sciences Symposium, hosted by the Institute of Directors (IoD) Japan Business Group. The event, held in partnership with the Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (JPMA) and sponsored by Shimadzu UK Ltd, focused on strengthening bilateral collaboration in healthcare innovation and life sciences investment.
Opening the event, Dr Indranil Nath, Chair of the IoD Japan Business Group, emphasised the growing importance of UK–Japan partnerships in addressing shared healthcare challenges—from demographic shifts to rising chronic disease burdens. It was followed by a warm welcome address from Stuart Philips, Managing Director of Shimadzu UK Ltd, the event’s lead sponsor, who underlined the company’s ongoing commitment to supporting scientific advancement and UK–Japan collaboration.
Two keynote addresses delivered via video added further gravitas to the occasion:
- The Rt Hon Lord Lansley, Former Secretary of State for Health, reflected on the policy landscape and enduring opportunities for bilateral healthcare engagement. He highlighted the transformative role of AI, diagnostics, and genomics in improving health systems and called for mutual recognition of regulatory standards, open trade in medicines, and value-based pricing to support innovation and sustainable patient access.
- Minister Kyoichiro Kawakami, Economic Minister at the Embassy of Japan in the UK, reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to fostering deeper scientific and commercial ties with the UK.
Key presentations highlighted areas of technological and clinical innovation:
- Dr Divya Srivastava (Assistant Professor, School of Health and Medical Sciences, City St George’s University of London) discussed the UK’s national strategy for AI in healthcare, underlining the importance of patient-centricity and the economic assessment of digital tools.
- Dr Hidetoshi Hoshiya (CEO, CC121 Ltd, and Advisor, Stem Cell & Device (SCAD) Laboratory, Inc.) examined the growth of the regenerative medicine sector and proposed strategies to expand the advanced therapies ecosystem in both countries.
- Professor Jonathan Edgeworth (Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc) shared insights into real-time genetic sequencing and its application in infection control, antimicrobial resistance, and clinical diagnostics.
A panel discussion, moderated by Adam Barak (PPI Healthcare Consulting), brought together leading voices, including Neil Loftus (Shimadzu Corporation), Faisal Khan (Chair of the IoD Expert Advisory Group on Science, Innovation and Technology, and Chair, IoD South), and Lina Kaciulis (Quickstat and IoD Ambassador for Life Science, Biotech, and Pharma (Surrey and Berkshire). Topics included biomarker identification, regulatory pathways, funding challenges, decentralised clinical trials, and the use of digital and AI innovations in logistics and pathology.
Rie Hamaguchi, Special Advisor to the Governor of Osaka Prefecture, provided a preview of the Osaka–Kansai Expo 2025, spotlighting the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion’s immersive exhibits on the future of medicine and wellbeing.
The symposium also served as a curtain-raiser for the IoD’s upcoming trade and innovation mission to Japan in July 2025, where delegates will continue dialogue and explore on-the-ground opportunities in Tokyo and Osaka.
As both the UK and Japan navigate healthcare transformation, the symposium reaffirmed the power of international collaboration in driving innovation, accelerating patient access, and building sustainable healthcare systems.
About the author
Dr Indranil Nath is an entrepreneurial and globally exposed leader, board member, and iNED with years of experience in insurance operations and technology across Build, Sell and Delivery Organisations. Dr Nath held a series of positions with increasing responsibility at DXC, IBM Corp, AXA and EY and currently delivers consulting to Private Equity firms on projects focusing on product development, acquisition and value creation opportunities in insurance software. Technology Inclusion Council has awarded him the ‘2021 Top 100 Diverse Leaders in Tech’. He is an Honorary Senior Fellow at the School of Science & Technology, City University of London, a Chartered Engineer, a Chartered Fellow of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, and a Fellow of the Institute of Directors, where he chairs the Japan Business Group.
