We were delighted to welcome President of Estonia His Excellency Alar Karis, Ambassador Sven Sakkov and a delegation of Estonian entrepreneurs to King’s. International collaboration is key to advancing health and life sciences. By supporting entrepreneurs and working across research, education, government and industry, we can turn discovery into real-world solutions that improve lives globally.
Professor Graham Lord, Senior Vice-President (Health & Life Sciences), King's College London
14 October 2025
President of Estonia visits King's to explore healthcare innovation
His Excellency Alar Karis, President of Estonia, toured Guy’s Campus as part of a visit aimed at strengthening relations between Estonia and the United Kingdom.
President Karis was accompanied by Estonian Ambassador to the United Kingdom Sven Sakkov and a delegation of health technology entrepreneurs. Discussions focused on opportunities for collaboration, particularly around applying research findings to develop new medical solutions that improve healthcare outcomes.
The delegation met with senior leadership and toured research facilities, including the MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, one of Europe’s largest centres for the study of brain development.
Professor Graham Lord, Senior Vice-President (Health & Life Sciences), outlined King’s integrated approach to tackling global health challenges through research, education and clinical care. He emphasised the university’s commitment to partnerships that drive innovation, highlighting how King’s Health Partners, a collaboration with three NHS Foundation Trusts, accelerates the translation of medical research into better treatments and outcomes for patients.
The delegation also heard from Julie Devonshire OBE, Director of the Entrepreneurship Institute, and Professor Sebastien Ourselin, Assistant Principal (Innovation). They gave an overview of King’s innovation ecosystem, which supports start-ups and spinouts through entrepreneurial skills development, mentorship and access to cross-sector networks, helping ideas progress from early concept to commercialisation.
The visit provided an excellent opportunity to engage with the world-renowned King’s College London, to exchange views on the key challenges facing healthcare and explore how we can unlock the full potential of our health systems. I am confident that this visit unleashes many fruitful discussions and collaborative initiatives between our institutions and countries.
His Excellency Sven Sakkov, Estonian Ambassador to the United Kingdom
The visit formed part of a three-day programme in London for President Karis and his wife, Sirje Karis, focused on deepening UK–Estonia ties in culture, the digital economy and health technology.
The United Kingdom and Estonia share a deep commitment to addressing the major questions of our time — particularly how to harness technology and innovation to enhance citizens’ health and wellbeing. This is a truly cross-border endeavour, where cooperation and partnerships are essential.
His Excellency Sven Sakkov, Estonian Ambassador to the United Kingdom
The delegation included representatives from Estonian healthtech companies Antegenes, Better Medicine, Lifeyear and Migrevention.
In this story
Senior Vice-President (Health & Life Sciences)
Director, Entrepreneurship Institute
Assistant Principal (Innovation)