Wales is edging closer to being at the forefront of genomics after the NHS signed an ambitious new collaboration with a leading science technology company.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the NHS in Wales and Illumina will build on existing research into lung cancer diagnostics, with the ambition to further expand into other cancer types, and into wider areas of genomics with the aim of prevention, earlier diagnosis and personalised treatments.

The MoU has been signed by Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Cardiff University, Public Health Wales and Illumina Cambridge Limited, in collaboration with the Welsh Government, and facilitated by Life Science Hub Wales and Genomics Partnership Wales.

Wales Health Secretary Jeremy Miles said: “This agreement has the potential to make a huge difference to preventative cancer care for people in Wales.

“Our ambition is for Wales to be at the forefront of genomics and this Memorandum of Understanding reflects our efforts to strategically partner homegrown talent and ingenuity with industry to help achieve this and strengthen our resilience for the future.

“We believe that working together pooling knowledge and expertise, as well as making better use of the scarce resources available, will boost research into the sector.”