The Oxford Trust, an independent charitable trust established by the late Sir Martin and Lady Audrey Wood co-founders of Oxford Instruments, has agreed a 10-year lease for Blue Boar Court in Oxford’s city centre to house its Oxford Centre for Innovation to support the growth and development of local science and tech start-ups.
In 1985, The Oxford Trust set up the Oxford Centre for Innovation in Osney Mead, which subsequently moved to a building in Mill Street. In 2010, the Trust purchased Macclesfield House from Oxfordshire County Council and shortly after relocated the Oxford Centre for Innovation. In May 2024, the Trust sold Macclesfield House to Oxford Business College as the building required an upgrade and significant capital expenditure.
The new home for the Oxford Centre for Innovation at the Grade II Listed Blue Boar Court has reaffirmed The Oxford Trust’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of innovators, to provide them with smart, affordable and flexible office space, admin and 1:1 business support, as well as a collaborative working environment to foster a creative community and promote success.
Located on Alfred Street in the heart of Oxford, the new Centre will offer 13,000 sq ft (1,210 sq m) over four floors of modern, well designed private office spaces, meeting rooms and co-working space.
To ensure a smooth transition for businesses located in its current Oxford Centre for Innovation in Macclesfield House, the Trust is in discussion with several companies, operating in technology areas as diverse as medical imaging, AI, Quantum and environmental, to relocate to the new premises.
Steve Burgess, chief executive officer, The Oxford Trust said: “This is a pivotal moment for us and the growing community of entrepreneurs in Oxford. The new location of the Oxford Centre for Innovation will not only provide start-ups with the space they need to scale but also strengthen Oxford’s position as a world-class hub for science and technology innovation. We’re proud to play a role in fostering this ecosystem and excited to welcome a dynamic group of start-ups to our new centre.
“The move aligns with The Oxford Trust’s mission of supporting Oxfordshire’s innovation economy, driving high-quality job creation, and contributing to the UK’s leadership in research and innovation. With proximity to the University of Oxford and other key academic and research institutions, the new location of the Centre will enable collaboration between start-ups and world-leading researchers, creating opportunities for cutting-edge breakthroughs.”
The Centre is expected to be ready for occupation from March 2025.
The Oxford Trust also owns the Wood Centre for Innovation in Headington, home to nine pioneering science and tech companies including DJS Antibodies, Bioarchitect, PicturaBio, Helio Display Materials, RedShiftBio, Jack Fertility, Samsara Therapeutics, Lumai and Spintex as well as Barclays Eagle Labs incubator.
Adjoining the Wood Centre for Innovation is the Trust’s Science Oxford Centre, the UK’s first indoor-outdoor hands-on science education centre, which is open to primary schools during the week and families every Saturday.
The Oxford Centre for Innovation will be managed by Oxford Innovation Space.
The terms of the deal are confidential. CBRE and Freeths LLP acted on behalf of The Oxford Trust.
