The UK–China Life Sciences Innovation Hub is built by Excellence First Enterprise Consultancy (EFEC) — an organisation founded in 2006 with roots in education and training, and since 2018, a trusted connector of innovation ecosystems between the UK and China.
EFEC’s evolution from education consultancy to cross-ecosystem facilitator reflects a long-standing commitment to enabling learning, collaboration, and responsible innovation across cultures.
The UK–China Life Sciences Innovation Hub takes a governance-first, capability-driven approach to international collaboration. Our work centres on enabling responsible, ethical and culturally intelligent partnerships across the life sciences ecosystem.
The Hub is currently in its early development phase and will continue to evolve through 2025, ahead of a full launch in 2026.
We help organisations understand and navigate different research cultures, expectations and governance environments across borders.
We support responsible innovation through dialogue, capability-building and structured frameworks — not through regulatory, commercial or intermediary roles.
We bring deep expertise in UK–China cross-cultural dynamics and scientific communication.
Our programmes strengthen how teams collaborate, build trust, resolve misunderstandings and work productively in international and cross-border settings.
We help partners explore and understand the UK life sciences landscape, connect with knowledge and expertise, and steward collaborative projects in a safe, ethical and sustainable way.
We also support organisations in developing awareness of cross-border contexts — including scientific, cultural and organisational dynamics in China — to enable more informed and responsible collaboration.
We guide organisations through their learning journeys — supporting, not brokering.
Our work is guided by six principles
To avoid misunderstandings, it is important to clarify that the Hub:
• does not act as a commercial intermediary
• does not provide investment introductions
• does not offer talent or project brokerage
• does not engage in regulatory or approval-related activities
Our leadership team blends UK–China experience across AI, biotech, medtech, and innovation strategy.
We are not a competitor to the specialists. Instead, we bring them together — translating across cultures, systems, and business environments.
We connect specialists in their fields — we collaborate, not compete.
We curate strategic, high-trust networks rather than relying on open databases.
We build learning environments that bridge regulatory, cultural, and market systems.
We create measurable impact through open collaboration co-designed with our members.
We embed governance, ESG, and ethics into all innovation practices.
In 2026, EFEC will mark its 20th anniversary with the Hub’s formal launch and the publication of the EFEC UK–China Life Sciences Innovation Hub ESG Statement — setting measurable goals for impact, inclusion, and sustainability.
The Hub supports organisations in developing the capabilities, cultural understanding and collaborative governance required for responsible cross-border innovation. We provide guidance, project stewardship and ecosystem insight to help partners navigate the UK life sciences environment safely and effectively. We do not act as a commercial intermediary, investment introducer or talent agent.