Basque Health Cluster strengthens collaboration with the Welsh health and innovation ecosystem

On 17 and 18 June, a delegation from Basque Health Cluster visited Wales to gain first-hand insight into some of the leading initiatives driving healthcare innovation, precision medicine, and collaboration between the healthcare system, academia, industry and public administration.

The visit, organised in collaboration with Welsh Government, Life Sciences Hub Wales and MediWales, provided an opportunity to better understand the Welsh life sciences ecosystem and explore new avenues for cooperation between both regions.

The Basque Country and Wales share much more than a commitment to the life sciences sector. Both regions have developed strong innovation ecosystems built on collaboration between public administration, healthcare providers, academia and industry, recognising health as a strategic driver of economic development, knowledge generation and societal wellbeing.

The complementarity of their capabilities, together with a shared vision around challenges such as precision medicine, digital health, healthcare innovation and technology transfer, provides a solid foundation for creating new opportunities for collaboration between organisations in both territories. This common vision was evident throughout the meetings and activities carried out during the mission.

The programme began at Life Sciences Hub Wales, an organisation that acts as a connector between the healthcare system, businesses, research centres and public administration to accelerate the adoption of innovation across healthcare.

During the session, strategic initiatives such as Genomics Partnership Wales, the national programme coordinating the development of genomic medicine in Wales, and Cardiff Health Partners, an alliance that promotes translational research, precision medicine and healthcare innovation across the region, were presented.

In this context, Michaela John, Head of Programme at Genomics Partnership Wales, explained how Wales is advancing the integration of genomics into clinical practice, developing digital infrastructures and promoting data interoperability to improve health outcomes and create new opportunities for collaboration between healthcare providers, researchers and industry.

The delegation also had the opportunity to learn about the work led by Tom Connor, Head of Public Health Genomics at Public Health Wales, who presented the national programme for genomics applied to public health, combining sequencing capabilities, epidemiological analysis and research to move from patient-centred care towards population-level prevention models.

The vision of Cardiff Health Partners was also shared. Conceived as a vehicle for driving healthcare innovation from Cardiff with international reach, it connects hospitals, universities, research centres and businesses to accelerate translational research, precision medicine and the development of new healthcare solutions.

One of the most significant aspects of the visit was the opportunity to explore the Welsh genomics and precision medicine ecosystem, recognised as one of the country’s strategic priorities for healthcare development.

In this context, Clive Morgan, Managing Director of All Wales Medical Genomics Service (AWMGS), presented the national model that coordinates Wales’ clinical and genomic laboratory services, integrating healthcare delivery, research and technological development under a common strategy focused on personalised medicine.

The various sessions highlighted the importance Wales places on advanced data use, genomic research and collaboration between institutions as key tools to accelerate innovation and improve healthcare delivery.

The delegation also visited Pentre Awel, one of the most ambitious projects currently being developed in Wales.

Located in Llanelli, this health and innovation campus brings together healthcare services, research, businesses, education, wellbeing facilities and residential spaces within an environment designed to promote innovation and prevention through a community-centred approach.

With an expected investment of up to £219 million, the project represents a new way of understanding the relationship between health, regional development and economic growth.

The visit also included an introduction to the work of the Tritech Institute & Innovation, presented by Amy Campbell, Research Associate at Hywel Dda University Health Board. The session explored how the institute supports the evaluation, validation and adoption of healthcare innovations within the Welsh health system, helping connect clinical needs with solutions developed by companies and researchers.

The programme also featured a presentation by Wendy Dearing, representing the collaboration between the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) and Hywel Dda University Health Board. She introduced the work of the Centre for Social Innovation, an initiative focused on developing new responses to social and healthcare challenges through a people-centred approach.

One of the mission’s objectives was to gain a better understanding of how the Welsh healthcare system operates and, in particular, how innovation adoption and public procurement processes work within NHS Wales.

This topic was addressed by Lee Morgan MCIPS, Deputy Head of Operational Procurement at NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (NWSSP), who explained how public procurement is being used in Wales as a strategic tool to drive innovation, encourage the adoption of new technologies and generate value for patients, healthcare professionals and the wider health system.

Discussions with innovation and procurement leaders provided valuable insights into procurement structures, current system priorities and the opportunities available for international companies seeking to collaborate with Welsh healthcare organisations.

Value-based procurement, outcome-focused innovation and early engagement with suppliers were among the key themes highlighted during these sessions.

The second day focused on participation in MediWales Connects 2026, one of the leading life sciences events in Wales.

The conference brought together companies, hospitals, universities, technology centres and public institutions, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and experiences between organisations from both regions.

Participation in MediWales Connects also provided an opportunity to meet with institutional representatives and key stakeholders from the Welsh ecosystem to explore potential collaboration opportunities in the medium and long term.

Among these meetings, special mention should be made of the discussion with Richard Harris, Head of Trade at Welsh Government, during which the foundations of a future roadmap were established to build on the relationships developed over recent months and advance initiatives with greater business, technological and institutional impact.

The meeting explored opportunities to organise future reciprocal missions and networking activities aimed at accelerating collaboration and internationalisation opportunities for the health ecosystems of Wales and the Basque Country.

In this context, international events such as BioSpain 2026, which will take place in Bilbao from 29 September to 1 October, were identified as a strategic opportunity to further strengthen ties between both regions. This year’s edition will also feature the United Kingdom as Guest Nation, providing an exceptional framework for generating new contacts, exploring collaboration opportunities and continuing the conversations initiated during this mission.

The visit enabled the identification of areas of common interest, including precision medicine, genomics, digital health, healthcare innovation, innovative public procurement and international business development.

Beyond the opportunities for collaboration, the meetings highlighted that Wales and the Basque Country face many of the same challenges currently affecting healthcare systems and life sciences ecosystems: the effective adoption of innovation, the integration of data into decision-making processes, the development of precision medicine, the sustainability of healthcare systems and the need to accelerate knowledge transfer to the market.

Learning first-hand how other regions are addressing these challenges helps identify approaches, tools and collaboration models that can inspire future action. The exchange of experiences between ecosystems not only improves understanding of shared challenges but also helps uncover potential solutions and new ways of tackling them through collaboration.

Both regions also expressed their commitment to continuing to strengthen the relationships established over recent months through new collaborative initiatives, business engagement activities and reciprocal missions designed to create tangible opportunities for organisations across both ecosystems.

Beyond knowledge exchange, the shared objective is to transform the connections created during this visit into concrete projects, strategic partnerships and new business opportunities that contribute to strengthening the international competitiveness of the health ecosystems of Wales and the Basque Country.