London launches landmark Life Sciences Strategy to become global leader in health innovation 

London has launched a Life Sciences Strategy to coordinate innovation, streamline approvals, harness data and partnerships, positioning the city as a global leader in health innovation.

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Home to a dense concentration of global universities, life sciences clusters, start‑ups, investors, a dynamic tech sector and diverse communities, London provides an unparalleled testbed for innovation. This is why it’s been the home of world leading innovations, from chemotherapy drugs in the 1950s to CT scanners in the 1970s and Ambient Voice Technology now. 

Building on this, the London Life Sciences Strategy has now been launched to optimise the way in which London coordinates the adoption of innovation to create an even healthier, wealthier and more equitable city. The Strategy is based around six pillars: 

1. London Health Innovation Funds 

2. Health Innovation Procurement and Contracting 

3. London Innovator Passports 

4. MHRA Regulatory Sandbox 

5. OneLondon Integrated Health Data 

6. London Innovation Information Exchange 

This Strategy will support the health and life sciences investor community, as it seeks to focus on helping companies develop and scale effectively through their work with the NHS. The London Health Innovation Funds will build upon the work of the Health Innovation Network’s Investor Panel, encouraging and supporting investors at all stages of company development, along with helping the NHS corral spending to support scaling companies.  
 
Another key practical change to support companies helping companies grow NHS sales is the introduction of the London Innovator Passport, a new digital approvals system hosted on MedTech Compass. The Innovator Passport means a company demonstrates its value once and is recognised across all of London, removing duplication for suppliers and NHS organisations alike. 

The Strategy also establishes an MHRA Regulatory Sandbox, a controlled testing environment for innovative medical technologies, with an initial focus on AI-driven devices and diagnostics. Up to 10 AI medical device manufacturers are expected to be selected for the initial phase, with expressions of interest due to open in July 2026. This will enable participants to work alongside NHS providers across London to deploy technologies in live clinical settings under MHRA oversight. 

As these pillars take effect, the city aims to increasingly act as a coordinated London Health Innovation Zone, welcoming increased investment to support innovations with global potential to develop and scale in the capital.  

Read the London Life Sciences Strategy

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