Advanced Oxford has been actively involved in two key events recently, both of which aligned on one key issue: Oxfordshire isn’t just full of good ideas – it’s putting them into practice.
Reflecting on the Blenheim Business Summit organised by B4 in May and the House of Lords Oxfordshire Innovation Showcase in June, which we organised in collaboration with Oxfordshire County Council, there was a consistent message.
There’s real momentum, strong partnerships, and global impact coming out of Oxfordshire. But there are also real constraints in relation to energy, planning, skills, and transport that are holding people and businesses back.
This isn’t about asking for favours. It’s about removing the roadblocks so what’s already working can go further.
Backed by Evidence, Not Hype
Advanced Oxford’s Innovation Engine 2023 report sets out the scale of our innovation ecosystem:
- Nearly 3,000 high-tech businesses call Oxfordshire home.
- They employ around 29,000 people, and we have around 1,500 R&D focused, STEM-based companies.
- The region filed 5,700 patent applications in five years, a marker of real-world innovation, not just academic promise.
This kind of activity doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built on partnerships between universities, local businesses, research organisations, and councils. But maintaining momentum and stimulating further growth means tackling the barriers head-on.
Infrastructure: Still Playing Catch-Up
At the House of Lords, YASA made a stark point: despite building electric motors for 75% of new Ferraris and serving Mercedes-Benz, their Oxfordshire site still runs on diesel generators because there isn’t enough grid capacity.
It’s a clear example of world-class potential held back by outdated infrastructure.
The Cowley branch line tells a similar story. It’s shovel-ready, well-supported, and would improve access to jobs, yet it remains unfunded. In contrast, East West Rail shows what’s possible when transport is seen as a catalyst for growth.
Purpose Matters
Conversations at both events echoed what Advanced Oxford research has shown: purpose-led businesses do better. They attract talent, weather economic shocks, and bring people with them.
Purple Transform’s work tackling rail crime through AI is one example. It’s innovation solving a public problem and it’s calling for policy that enables more of that, with less red tape and smarter spending.
As Dr Laura Gilbert CBE and Will Hutton put it during the session at Blenheim: purpose isn’t just about values, it’s a competitive advantage.
Give Us the Tools, Not Just the Targets
Oxfordshire’s civic and business leaders are asking for powers to join things up. From housing and energy to skills and planning. Martin Reeves commented that devolution isn’t about symbols. It’s about action.
Jan Royall, The Baroness Royall of Blaisdon echoed that in the House of Lords, committing to backing to Oxfordshire and the case for addressing barriers to growth. The region knows what needs doing. It just needs the permission, and policy tools to get on with it.
Collaboration Is Our Strength
From Blenheim’s long-term reforestation work with Nicholsons to Zero Petroleum’s development of synthetic fuel, based at Bicester Motion, Oxfordshire, shows what’s possible when innovation is rooted in place and supported by networks that connect research, business, and land use.
This collaborative mindset runs deep. Whether it’s Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, university-led skills initiatives, or shared efforts to unlock infrastructure challenges, Oxfordshire’s strength lies in ecosystems — not isolated wins.
Jacqui Canton, Principal and Chief Executive at Abingdon and Witney College, told the summit: “We don’t have all the answers. But neither do you. Together, we have something powerful.”
Inclusion and Environment: Core to Growth
This isn’t just about labs and IP. It’s about making sure growth is fair, inclusive, and grounded in place.
Projects like Oxford North, which combine lab space with parks and community areas, show what regenerative development can look like. Liz Leffman raised the issue of transport poverty, a real barrier to opportunity, especially for those in more rural parts of the county.
Advanced Oxford’s work on gender inclusion, published in 2024, also makes it clear: inclusion doesn’t happen by default. It needs commitment and design, and it pays off in better performance, higher retention, and stronger community trust.
What Next?
The evidence is in. This region delivers – economically, socially, and environmentally. But it can’t keep doing more with less.
Here’s what will unlock the next chapter:
- Energy and transport: Fix the grid, fund Cowley branch line, and unlock key sites.
- Joined-up powers: Let local leaders plan holistically across sectors.
- Skills and inclusion: Build pathways into growth sectors and keep equity at the centre.
- Back purpose: Use public spending to support mission-led innovation.
- Stay focused on delivery: Use what we know works, and scale it.
This isn’t about another pilot. It’s about making Oxfordshire a real-world model for how innovation-led growth can work, in practice, not just in theory.
