EU Business Hub @ World Health Expo 2026

The European Union Delegation to Japan through the EU Business Hub programme will select and support up to 50 European SMEs and startups in the Healthcare and Medical Equipment sector to attend the World Health Expo 2026, taking place at INTEX Osaka. The 2026 edition builds on the track record of Japan Health 2025 (the predecessor of WHX) which hosted 425 exhibiting companies and attracted nearly 17 000 visitors, positioning it as one of Japan’s leading healthcare and medical technology trade fairs.

The EU Business Hub will provide the EU Pavilion at the exhibition, providing a platform for European companies to showcase their products and services, demonstrations, networking, and customer acquisition. This business mission will take place from June 30 to July 4, 2026, and provides an excellent opportunity for networking and connecting with potential Japanese buyers, distributors and hospital decision makers. Many Japanese corporations send representatives and also have exhibition booths at the World Health Expo. At the EU Pavilion, a dedicated team of business coaching staff and professional interpreters will be available to promote European companies’ products and technologies, supporting opportunities for B2B matchmaking and strategic partnerships. A networking event during the mission will increase the opportunities to connect with potential business partners and clients.

This business mission presents a unique opportunity for innovative European SMEs and startups to establish valuable contacts, exhibit their solutions at the EU Pavilion, structured market entry support and industry exposure in Japan.
 

Target audience

European SMEs and startups involved in the Medical and Healthcare Equipment sector, including technologies such as:

• Medical equipment
• AI applications in healthcare
• Imaging and diagnostics
• ICT for healthcare
• Disposables and consumer goods
• Regenerative medicine and tissue engineering
• Digital health
• Nanotechnology in healthcare
• Assistive technologies
• Telemedicine and remote health monitoring

Japanese Business Operators, notably buyers, distributors and R&D partners in public and private sectors, and Japanese investors.
 

Overview of the business mission

The business mission to Osaka will be for a duration of five days in total, including three days of exhibiting, business matchmaking and networking, as well as sector insights and a study tour.

The business mission agenda is as follows:

• Day 1: Arrival in Osaka and Welcome Gathering.
• Day 2: Briefing and lecture session with sectoral experts, matchmaking event/site visit.
• Day 3: Exhibition, networking and business matchmaking sessions at the World Health Expo.
• Day 4: Exhibition, networking, business matchmaking sessions, and happy hour at the World Health Expo.
• Day 5: Exhibition, networking, business meetings at the World Health Expo, and debriefing session.
   

Services/benefits the EU participants will be receiving

• Business matchmaking resulting in pre-arranged in-person meetings with carefully selected Japanese companies
• Market intelligence including sectoral briefings providing valuable insights about the Japanese market and potential opportunities
• Cultural and linguistic support such as briefings on doing business in Japan, and support for interpretation and translation
• Financial support up to €1000 to benefit from a menu of additional customised services co-funded by the project (e.g. translation, printing, legal advice)
• Hotel accommodation (Grand Prince Hotel Osaka Bay) for four nights – in total, up to €1000 for accommodation is covered by the programme
• Coverage of the exhibition fee at the World Health Expo
   

Key market insights

Participating to EU Business Hub @ World Health Expo 2026 represents a unique opportunity for European SMEs and start-ups:

Market size: The Japanese medical equipment market was valued at approximately € 27.5 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach € 34 billion by 2029, reflecting a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.4%. The steady growth is driven by Japan’s "super-ageing" society, with one of the world’s highest proportions of elderly citizens—and the resulting increase in demand for:

• Advanced diagnostic imaging systems (MRI, CT, PET)
• Minimally invasive surgical technologies
• Homecare and remote monitoring devices
• AI-integrated medical equipment to improve efficiency and clinical accuracy

The ageing demographic trend continues to stimulate investment in high-precision diagnostics, chronic disease management solutions, and hospital automation, positioning Japan as one of the most technologically sophisticated and stable medical device markets globally.

Regulatory environment: To accelerate innovation, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has launched the "DASH for SaMD 2" initiative, significantly streamlining the approval process for "Software as a Medical Device" (SaMD). For foreign digital health companies this creates a market entry pathway, particularly for AI driven diagnostics, remote monitoring platforms and digital therapeutics. As Japan continues its transition toward data-driven and preventative healthcare models, regulatory reforms position the country as an increasingly attractive market for international digital health innovators¹.

Commitment to advanced healthcare: Japan has reinforced is national R&D strategy through the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), which secured a budget of € 870 million (JPY 140.5 billion) in FY2025. A substantial share of this funding is allocated to integrated projects bridging basic research and clinical application. Strategic priority areas include medical and surgical robotics, AI-driven drug discovery, regenerative medicine and cell therapies and data driven precision medicine therapies².

Main sources of untapped potential: While the diagnostic imaging market is relatively mature, the preventive healthcare and digital therapeutics (DTx) sectors have strong market potential. Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare "Data Health Reform" initiative actively promotes the use of health and insurance data to shift from treatment oriented care toward prevention and early intervention. This policy framework creates a strategic entry point for SMEs offering wearable IoT devices, personalised digital health platforms and AI driven risk prevention and early screening tools.³

Please see the Cancellation Policy section for more information.

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¹ JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization), Market Report: Current Status and Future of Japan's Medical Device Industry

² AMED (Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development), Overview and Budget FY2025

³ EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation, Report: The Medical Devices Market in Japan