Strengthening Global Opportunities: Occuity in China with the Sino-UK FIT Programme

Occuity’s CEO, Dan Daly, recently joined a select group of UK medtech leaders on a programme visit to China’s Yangtze River Delta region — one of the world’s most dynamic hubs for healthcare innovation.

The visit, hosted by Oxford University Innovation Suzhou as part of the Sino-UK FIT Programme 2026, took place from 5–14 May and brought together a small cohort of high-potential UK companies to explore collaboration opportunities across the region. In total, five UK-based medtech SMEs and one Oxford-origin spinout now based in China were invited to participate.

Alongside fellow innovators spanning cardiovascular devices, advanced therapeutics, drug delivery and surgical technologies, Occuity was invited to showcase its technology and engage directly with a broad network of stakeholders across the region. Over the course of the programme, this included companies supporting medical device development, contract clinical trial organisations, regulatory experts focused on the NMPA approval pathway, distributors, government bodies, and both private and state-backed investors.

A Packed Schedule

Each day was packed full of presentations and meetings, combining strategic discussion with direct engagement. Mornings typically involved visits to two or three leading institutions, followed by afternoon roadshow presentations to audiences of 50–100 delegates. Evenings provided further access through hosted discussions with regional officials, policymakers and industry leaders — creating a high level of exposure across a relatively short period.

An Eye Epening Experience

What stands out most is the scale of investment and ambition within China’s medtech sector. The Yangtze River Delta alone represents a significant concentration of R&D, infrastructure and funding. This is set against a broader market of over 1.4 billion people, including an estimated 120 million living with diabetes, 350–500 million with pre-diabetes, and approximately 800 million affected by glaucoma — underscoring the size of the clinical need and the opportunity for innovative solutions.

For Occuity, the visit reflects the growing international interest in its technology and its potential to address major global health challenges. While discussions remain at an early stage, the breadth and quality of connections made — across development partners, regulatory pathways, and commercial channels — provide a strong platform for future engagement.

The company is now actively working through these opportunities to determine the most effective path forward, as part of its broader strategy to expand its global footprint and bring its technologies to international markets.