Oxford Celebrates Opening of Innovation Accelerator

The Begbroke Innovation Accelerator, an extension to Begbrokes’s Centre for Innovation and Enterprise at Oxford, was officially opened on March 17th at Begbroke Science Park (BSP), by Nicola Blackwood MP, Minister for Public Health and Innovation.

The new multi-use building, already 60% occupied will help small and medium-sized science businesses to take their projects to market and also provide facilities for researchers from the University developing new innovative products and technologies. The site’s primary focus will be on the advanced engineering sectors of automotive, nuclear materials, advanced materials, robotics, as well as in nano-medicine, pharmaceuticals, energy storage and supercomputing. The facility builds on local success integrating the city’s academic and business communities, and further fuels Oxford’s emergence as a tech cluster.

Speaking at the opening event, Professor Ian Walmsley, Pro-Vice Chancellor at the University of Oxford said ‘The city’s growing reputation as a powerhouse of entrepreneurial activity, where new businesses can be nurtured by mentors and thrive in their own right, is key to the University’s appeal to new students and researchers. Oxfordshire ranks among the world’s top five “hotspots” for innovation, and we are committed to maintaining this position with the continued delivery of transformative, far-reaching research. We look forward to supporting new scientific talent and enterprises as they grow from this development.”

Announced in January 2014, the Oxford City Deal confirmed a £30m Government commitment to scientific research excellence, with new innovation centres and startup incubation space, at the University, Culham and Harwell sites to be partly funded by the state. Begbroke Innovation Accelerator is one of the regional innovation centres funded through the programme, in partnership with Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP).

At the event, the Chair of OxLEP, Jeremy Long, launched the refreshed Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) for Oxfordshire. The new Plan updates the original 2014 document and outlines the strong ongoing commitment to sustainable economic growth across the county.

Mr Long said: “Oxfordshire is a very successful county which makes a valuable contribution to the UK economy as a whole. The development of our science and knowledge-based infrastructure is key to Oxfordshire’s future economic growth so I’m particularly pleased to see investment in this area come to fruition with the opening of the Begbroke Innovation Accelerator. Today’s launch of the refreshed Strategic Economic Plan for Oxfordshire sets out the route map for the continuing success and development of the county into the 2020s.”