WHY JAPAN
Japan is a top-three healthcare market in the world, and home to many top pharma companies with an appetite for Nordic innovations.
Japan is an extremely large market – with 125 million people, it is the 3rd
largest healthcare market in the world, and home to some of the top global healthcare companies in the world.
The country has a comprehensive universal healthcare system, and patients can freely choose their healthcare providers. Medical expenditures in Japan have increased by over 30% since 2000, and now constitute 11% of GDP.
As pressing issues arise in the healthcare and life science industry, Japanese companies are keen on collaborating with overseas startups with cutting-edge solutions to boost innovation.
Examples of the strong track record of Japanese investment in the Nordic life science sector:
- Fujifilm USD 1.6 billion investment to expand CDMO business in Denmark.
- Eisai's investment in Sweden’s BioArctic led to the world’s first fully FDA approved fully approved Alzheimer’s drug in 2023.
- Asahi Kasei Pharma acquired Calliditas Therapeutics in 2024 (USD 1.1 billion).
