£14million project from Canon Medical Research in Edinburgh plans to transform medical scans with AI technology

The funding was announced at a recent meeting with President of Canon Medical Research Europe Dr Ken Sutherland, Scottish Government Health Secretary Neil Gray and Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise Adrian Gillespie ahead of a health event at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan taking place this week.

The latest research project from Canon Medical Research Europe will develop AI based smart solutions to automate routine tasks. The automation will help to speed up patient scanning and allow consultants to make quicker and better-informed decisions for patients such as those receiving cancer treatment.

The company is based in Edinburgh and will form part of a trade delegation of Scottish companies heading out to Japan Expo’s Digital Health and Life Sciences Activation taking place from June 23-26 in Osaka and organised by Scottish Enterprise.

Expo 2025 provides a platform to showcase Scottish innovation in health to a global audience and includes representatives from industry, academia and National Health Service innovation hubs across Scotland.

Scottish Government Health Secretary Neil Gray recently met with senior representatives of Canon Medical Research Europe alongside Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise Adrian Gillespie to learn more about the company’s innovation plans.

Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “Scotland has a long-standing reputation for innovation in health and life sciences, and Canon Medical Research Europe exemplifies that strength. This investment in AI technology has the potential to transform the way we deliver healthcare by speeding up diagnosis, supporting our clinicians, and ultimately improving outcomes for patients.

“I’m proud to see Scottish expertise leading on such cutting-edge developments and look forward to showcasing this innovation on the world stage at Expo 2025 in Japan.”

Canon Medical Research Europe originated as Voxar, a spin-out from Edinburgh University in 1994, before being acquired by Canon in 2016. It has since become a centre of expertise in Scotland for AI for medical imaging with a team of over 100 scientists, engineers and clinical experts led by Dr Ken Sutherland.

The company develops imaging solutions and has been involved in initiatives such as the Industrial Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research in Digital Diagnostics (ICAIRD), a collaboration between companies, universities and the NHS.

President of Canon Medical Research Europe Dr Ken Sutherland said: “We have a strong focus on AI and automation with the goal of helping clinicians to diagnose and treat more patients. It makes me very proud to think that the innovation we create here is Scotland can benefit the people of Scotland and, through our parent company, the rest of the world.”

Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise Adrian Gillespie said: “This cutting-edge research project, led by Dr Sutherland and his team at Canon Medical Research Europe in Edinburgh, has the potential to be transformative for the NHS in Scotland and for health services around the world.

“Scotland’s life sciences and healthtech industries deliver life-enhancing benefits to patients, while making an enormous contribution to our economy – the life sciences sector alone contributes almost £10.5billion annually.

“That is also why we are taking a talented Scottish delegation of healthtech companies to Japan Expo to showcase what Scotland has to offer and to forge new connections that will deliver trade and healthcare opportunities.”

Canon’s Edinburgh site forms part of Canon Medical Systems Corporation, a subsidiary of Canon Inc headquartered in Japan and Mr Gray will also take part in a roundtable event with the parent group during his visit to Japan to discuss the company’s commitment to Scotland and future collaboration.

Technology has the potential to transform healthcare by improving diagnostic accuracy, personalise treatments, and enhance patient outcomes.  The companies heading to Expo are at the forefront of such areas as robotics, artificial intelligence and industrial healthtech with products such as an ultrasonic scalpel to a robot that cuddles patients.

The full list of companies joining the delegation at Expo 2025 Japan are:

• Touchlab - Scottish robotics company pioneering ultra-thin electronic skin technology that allows robots, prosthetics, and remote-operated machines to sense and respond to their environment with human-like tactile perception.
• Konpanion - Designs empathetic companion robots for alleviating loneliness and enhancing well-being. Their flagship product, Maah, resembles a ‘living pillow’ and offers emotional support by emulating pet-like behaviours.
• NamiSurgical - Produce miniaturised ultrasonic scalpels that can be used in minimally invasive surgeries. The device uses ultrasonic energy to cut and coagulate tissue, offering high precision and minimal thermal damage to surrounding areas. Its miniaturised design is essential for integration into robotic systems, allowing surgeons to perform delicate procedures with enhanced control and accuracy.
• iGii - Develops advanced electrochemical biosensing solutions powered by its proprietary nanomaterial, Gii. Specialising in next-generation diagnostics, iGii integrates Gii into scalable, high-performance platforms for healthcare, environmental, and industrial applications.
• J&D Wilkie - Textile manufacturers, family owned, dating back to 1868. The company specialise in high-performance technical textiles for various industries including medical applications.
• Talking Mats - A social enterprise dedicated to enhancing the communication abilities of individuals with communication difficulties. Founded by speech and language therapists, the organisation has developed an innovative visual communication framework known as ‘Talking Mats’

Through events at Expo 2025 and health trade fairs, the delegation will promote the strengths of Scotland's innovative medical technologies.

The global digital health market is forecast to grow to a value of over $940billion by 2032 underpinned by
growth in areas such as medial imaging according to a Scottish Enterprise report into digital health and medical technology.

The report also highlighted that Scotland plays a notable role in the global digital health and medtech markets and is recognised for innovation and research as a result of strong collaborations among
academia, healthcare, and technology sectors.