The UK and Japan have announced details of a new digital partnership to further the pair’s collaborative efforts in the face of increasing global competition. 

Both countries could be considered tech powerhouses in their own right, with their combined IT sectors worth over £406 billion.

This follows a recent deal between the two countries in late October this year to deepen their ties on digital government transformation. 

“The UK’s relationship with Japan has grown from strength to strength in recent years based on a foundation of shared goals and values,” UK Digital Secretary Michelle Donelan said. 

The new partnership aims to develop the strengths of each country and deliver on the UK’s Digital Strategy ambitions to increase international collaboration. 

A range of digital issues will be tackled together under the new partnership, including improving resilience to globally significant supply chains such as semiconductors and telecommunications.

The UK government recently announced an inquiry into their potential for the semiconductor industry, in part due to the pressure on the global supply chain. 

Joint research and development initiatives will be created between the two countries to share in their expertise. 

Digital regulation will also be touched on to improve trade and investment between the two tech economies. This is especially important after Brexit, with the UK still in the process of legislating different regulations from the EU in subjects like data protection and online safety. 

Improving cyber resilience is also a priority of the partnership, much like in the rest of the world, and the UK and Japan will each promote initiatives to standardise the security of internet-connected products and apps and address the risks of digital services in the supply chain. 

As the UK continues its ‘levelling-up’ and digitisation schemes, keeping all devices secure becomes a greater concern and challenge as cyber threats continue to rise. 

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Collaboration between the UK’s data regulator the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and Japanese regulators will be supported through the partnership to give businesses and citizens greater certainty about the security of data sharing between both countries. 

At the centre of the partnership will be the UK-Japan Digital Council, an annual meeting between ministers from the UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and representatives from the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Digital Agency to drive forward new priorities.

“Our thriving tech sectors are another opportunity for us to work together to benefit citizens and businesses across both countries,” Secretary Donelan continued. 

The new partnership is another step to achieve the UK’s goal to become the European nation with the broadest presence in the Indo-Pacific region which is increasingly critical as a global tech competition and international assertiveness intensifies. 

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