The 13th Meeting of the United Kingdom-Japan Joint Committee (JCM) on Cooperation in Science and Technology took place in Tokyo on 9 October 2026. This meeting aimed to endorse the existing collaboration between the two countries in science, technology, and innovation, and to establish shared strategic priorities for their future partnership.
The meeting was co-chaired by Professor Sir John Edmunds from the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Mr. KAWAMURA Hiroshi from Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For the first time in the JCM's history, the meeting included a high-level session attended by Ministers from both nations.
UK Minister for Science, Innovation and Investment, Mr. Chris McDonald MP, along with Japan's Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy, Dr. FURUKAWA Toshiharu, and Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Mr. SEKI Yoshihiro, received a summary of discussions. They endorsed progress and outlined directions for future collaboration.
The JCM reaffirmed its role as a bilateral mechanism supporting the delivery of the Frontier Technology Partnership (FTP), which was announced at the Japan-UK Summit in London in June 2026. The committee will review progress, identify new opportunities, and support the practical implementation of relevant FTP elements.
Both sides welcomed Japan's signing of the agreement for association to Horizon Europe, expressing high expectations for increased cooperation under this framework. They also reaffirmed ambitions to strengthen coordination among government agencies and National Contact Points (NCPs) to promote joint research.
The meeting highlighted robust cooperation in areas such as quantum technology, artificial intelligence, computing, space, research security, cybersecurity, fusion energy, and life sciences. Discussions explored opportunities to further deepen collaboration in these fields.