Britain and France have launched a major scientific partnership aimed at accelerating breakthroughs in women’s health and infectious disease research, as ministers gather in Paris for
high-level G7 technology talks.
The agreement will see researchers from both countries combine artificial intelligence, advanced imaging and biomedical expertise to develop faster diagnoses, safer pregnancy care and new treatments for conditions including endometriosis and childbirth complications — areas long criticised for being underfunded and poorly understood.
Officials say millions of women could benefit from the collaboration, which places AI and data-driven medicine at the centre of efforts to improve healthcare outcomes on both sides of the Channel.
The partnership will also strengthen international monitoring of dangerous infectious diseases, including drug-resistant E. coli, tuberculosis, malaria and emerging viruses. By pooling medical data and scientific resources, researchers hope to identify outbreaks more quickly and improve how patients receive treatment.
British and French scientists will work jointly on biomedical projects, funding applications and research programmes designed to speed up scientific discovery and deliver new healthcare technologies globally.
Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the agreement marked a “ground-breaking partnership” between the two nations.
“This partnership will tackle some of the biggest challenges in women’s health, deliver safer and healthier pregnancies, and accelerate the fight against infectious diseases worldwide,” she said.
“That means new treatments, earlier diagnoses, and more personalised care.”
The announcement coincides with G7 discussions in Paris focused on AI adoption, cybersecurity, digital resilience and protecting children online.
French Higher Education and Research Minister Philippe Baptiste described the renewed UK-France relationship as “a decisive step” in scientific cooperation.
“Together, we are building a dynamic and ambitious roadmap,” he said. “This cooperation, anchored in trust and excellence, will deliver tangible results in artificial intelligence, health, and beyond.”
Alongside the health research deal, the UK government has pledged nearly £900,000 to deepen collaboration between the Bristol Centre for Supercomputing — home to the Isambard-AI system — and France’s national computing agency, GENCI.
The partnership is expected to expand access to high-performance computing for researchers working on drug discovery, heart disease and climate modelling.
A further £300,000 from the UK, matched by €330,000 from France, will fund exchange opportunities for early-career scientists to live and work in both countries, supporting future collaboration on major European research projects.
Separately, Imperial College London and France’s National Centre for Scientific Research are set to sign a new agreement focused on metabolism research, targeting diseases including cancer, cardiovascular illness and neurodegenerative disorders. Photo by AI health research, Wikimedia commons.
