STORY
The UK and France have agreed a new science and technology partnership covering women’s health, infectious diseases, artificial intelligence and supercomputing. The Government said the agreement would support research into conditions including endometriosis, complications from childbirth, drug-resistant infections, tuberculosis, malaria and emerging viruses.
The partnership brings together institutions in both countries and will use AI, data and advanced imaging to speed up diagnosis and treatment. Ministers said the collaboration would also strengthen links between Britain’s Isambard-AI supercomputer and France’s GENCI computing centre, with almost £900,000 of UK Government funding committed to the work.
Liz Kendall, the Science and Technology Secretary, announced the deal as she attended G7 digital and technology talks in Paris. The summit is also considering AI adoption and security, digital resilience and online safety for children, giving the announcement a broader political context as ministers seek to present the UK as a leading science and AI partner.