Science Tokyo signs strategic partnership agreement with Imperial College London
Partnership event and academic collaboration symposium held in UK capital
President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Naoto Ohtake and President and Chief Academic Officer (CAO) Yujiro Tanaka from Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo) led a delegation to Imperial College London (Imperial) from April 20 to 23, 2026, where they formalized a strategic partnership agreement with the university, marking a significant step in strengthening institutional collaboration.
The delegation also participated in a partnership event co-hosted by Imperial and Science Tokyo, which brought together key figures from industry and academia to foster dialogue and explore opportunities for joint innovation. In addition, an academic symposium, also co-hosted by the two institutions, provided a platform for researchers to share insights and advance collaborative research initiatives.
The Science Tokyo delegation was comprised of leading researchers, administrative staff, and senior leadership members, including Tomohiro Morio, executive vice president for global affairs, Shun Shirai, executive vice president for infrastructure and administration and executive vice president for environmental health and safety, Kenji Wakabayashi, vice president for growth strategy, and Kaori Iida, vice president for industry-academia-government collaboration and director of the Center for Medical Innovation.
This visit was the culmination of sustained efforts to deepen cooperation, building on a foundation of research collaboration and student exchange established prior to Science Tokyo’s inception. Over the past year, these efforts have involved a series of reciprocal visits and meetings between senior leadership from both institutions, including Ohtake, Imperial’s Provost Peter Haynes, and Vice Provost for Research and Enterprise Mary Ryan. The launch in February 2026 of the new UK–Japan science, technology, and innovation policy framework, aimed at strengthening collaboration in advanced science and technology, also provided important momentum for the visit.
Academic collaboration symposium and partnership event
Academic collaboration symposium
On the first day of the visit, an academic collaboration symposium was held under the theme of "Convergence of Engineering, Biology, and Medicine."
In the basic research session, presentations were delivered by Professor Oscar Ces, head of the Department of Chemistry at Imperial, and Professor Masahiro Takinoue and Assistant Professor Hiroka Sugai from Science Tokyo.
In the applied research session, presentations were given by Professor Cristina Lo Celso and Professor Mark Isalan from Imperial's Department of Life Sciences, and Professor Jun Ishihara from the Department of Bioengineering. From Science Tokyo, Professor Kazuo Takayama, Professor Takashi Suzuki, and Associate Professor Naotaka Tsutsumi also delivered presentations.
The three fields of engineering, biology, and medicine share a particularly high degree of synergy between the two universities, and there was an active exchange of ideas regarding respective research achievements, ongoing collaboration, and future endeavors.
Partnership event
The partnership event later in the day featured participants from the Embassy of Japan in the UK, Hitachi Europe Ltd., the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), other key stakeholders, and numerous researchers from both universities. Under the moderation of Vice Provost Ryan, a roundtable discussion convened all stakeholders at a single table for an exchange of views.
The roundtable focused on topics such as economic growth, improving quality of life, and strengthening resilience. Participants also engaged in a deep discussion on priority areas for future collaboration and strategies for translating research outcomes into industry-academia cooperation, while acknowledging the cultural and institutional differences between Japan and the UK.
Signing of strategic partnership agreement
Following the symposium, a formal signing ceremony was held for the strategic partnership agreement.
The new agreement aims to advance strategic cooperation between Imperial and Science Tokyo across education, research, innovation, and industry-academia collaboration. Through this partnership, both institutions are committed to further strengthening their collaboration by promoting joint research initiatives, enhancing student and faculty mobility, and working together on the development of innovation ecosystems.
Exchange of opinions regarding industry-academia collaboration
During several meetings at Imperial’s White City and South Kensington Campuses, the delegation exchanged views on industry-academia collaboration initiatives with representatives from Imperial’s Enterprise Lab (E-Lab), the Industry Partnerships team, and the Institute for Deep Tech Entrepreneurship, as well as with Professors Ian McNeish and Will Branford, co-directors at two of Imperial’s Schools of Convergence Science.
White City Campus
Imperial’s White City Campus is positioned as a hub for deep tech, with a strong focus on corporate partnerships and startup support. A key highlight of the visit was Scale Space, a business launchpad operated jointly by Imperial and venture builder Blenheim Chalcot, which provides office and laboratory space for companies developing innovative technologies to scale their operations. The delegation was particularly impressed by the intentionally designed open spaces that bring together diverse members, as well as the active support for events and recruitment to foster a vibrant community.
South Kensington Campus
At the South Kensington Campus, the delegation visited Imperial’s E-Lab, which supports students, researchers, and female founders in developing entrepreneurial skills and translating innovative ideas into real-world impact. It provides mentorship, training programs, and access to networks of investors and industry partners. Through its activities, E-Lab fosters a dynamic startup ecosystem and encourages the commercialization of university-led innovation.
Partnership lunch
More than 20 faculty and staff members from both Science Tokyo and Imperial participated in a partnership lunch on the second day of the visit. During the session, the participants exchanged concrete ideas on potential programs for faculty, staff, and student exchanges, as well as on the organizational structures needed to support and advance these initiatives.
Presidents' lunch
In parallel with the partnership lunch, Ohtake, Tanaka, and Shirai joined a lunch meeting with Imperial’s President Hugh Brady, Vice-President for Communications and Strategic Engagement and Chief of Staff to the President Amanda Wolthuizen, and Professor Masao Takata to exchange views on strategic priorities and opportunities for deeper institutional collaboration. The discussion also addressed future directions for joint initiatives in research, education, and innovation, as well as ways to further strengthen leadership-level engagement between the two universities.
Comments by Naoto Ohtake, president and CEO of Institute of Science Tokyo
Through this visit, I was once again struck by the long history of collaboration with Imperial College London, our shared commitment to translating cutting-edge science into real-world impact, and the strong alignment with Imperial's Schools of Convergence Science and Science Tokyo's Visionary Initiatives.
With the UK–Japan science and technology partnership now in place, I am confident that by working closely together across key areas — sustainability, energy, and resilience; health, MedTech, and responsible innovation; artificial intelligence, cooperative systems, and advanced technologies; and space, security, and telecommunications — our two institutions can drive forward both research and talent development, and help deliver a better, brighter future in an increasingly uncertain world.
Comments by Peter Haynes, provost of Imperial College London
This new partnership with Institute of Science Tokyo comes at a pivotal moment in strengthening science and technology ties between the UK and Japan. Through expanded exchanges, joint research opportunities, and new initiatives to support early-career researchers, we are creating stronger pathways for collaboration.
In critical fields such as AI, robotics, biotechnology, and clean technologies, partnerships like this will be essential in accelerating discovery and translating innovation into real-world impact.
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