Oxford Charity Initiative supported by OxLEP

Local charity The Oxford Trust is pursuing a £500,000 project to install life science laboratory facilities at its Wood Centre for Innovation in Headington, Oxford, to increase capacity for the local innovation ecosystem. It has received £0.1 million towards the project via the Government’s Local Growth Fund, secured by the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP).

The project is a response to the significant demand that has been seen in the last year from science and tech start-ups and SMEs for lab space in Oxford’s Global Health and Life Sciences District, one of the UK’s leading technology clusters delivering lifesaving developments such as the COVID-19 vaccine.

Supporting the creation of more than 100 new jobs for the Oxfordshire economy, the work will be carried out by laboratory specialist project managers Bulb Laboratories, which is expected to complete in late Spring. 

The new facilities will total 3,300 sq ft of advanced R&D laboratory space for work at containment level 2 with climate control and air handling and 500 sq ft of shared facilities for common equipment and specialist microscopy use, including liquid nitrogen storage, autoclave, water purifier and dark room. The project is due for completion in Spring 2021.

Steve Burgess, CEO of The Oxford Trust said: “Now more than ever, we need to invest to support local innovators and entrepreneurs to develop ground-breaking ideas. This first phase of laboratory installations at the Wood Centre for Innovation means we will be able to offer a complete range of spaces in our two innovation centres from virtual offices and co-working to grade A office space and laboratory facilities to support science and tech start-ups and spinouts on their journey to success.”

“Thank you to OxLEP for their continued support of not just The Trust and our charitable aims but Oxfordshire’s innovation ecosystem. With this national government funding we are able to quickly pivot to meet the significant demand from companies needing specific lab space.”

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