Science Minister Lord Vallance has hailed the Oxford region as a “hotbed of innovation” in a visit to the new Oxford North R&D hub in support of government plans to support science and tech super cluster in the Oxford-Cambridge corridor.
Oxford North is a new innovation district in the southern English city. The 64-acre site has been backed by £1.2bn of investment from Thomas White Oxford, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and Stanhope.
Thousands of construction workers have been sent to the site with plans to establish almost one million sq ft of office space and advanced laboratory space.
The district will house science and technology businesses including startups, spinouts and global companies.
“Oxford North is a hotbed for innovation which will help us secure the UK’s status as a global powerhouse in industries like quantum computing and life sciences,” said Lord Vallance.
“All the right ingredients are here – from infrastructure and talent to opportunity and innovation – and this new site will empower talented teams to realise their potential and drive British-made breakthroughs.”
Lord Vallance is among the government’s most adamant proponents of plans to support an innovation hub in the Oxford-Cambridge corridor, having described it as “central” to Labour’s growth plans and an “economic engine for the entire country”.
