Oxford to Cambridge
pan-Regional Partnership

A group of leaders from local government, business boards, the Arc Universities Group and England’s Economic Heartland, with government, came together to form a pan-regional partnership for the Oxford to Cambridge region. 

Mission: to secure a future in which our communities prosper from the very best in environmentally sustainable ways of living and working. We collaborate to accelerate economic opportunities created through the region's innovation strengths to achieve significant environmental enhancements and to unlock investment for inclusive, high quality sustainable development.

The pan-Regional Partnership formally closed in May 2025.

The English Devolution White Paper, published in December 2024 indicated Government's intention to move to a position where there are Mayoral Combined Authorities covering the whole of England. The Government has stated that they will support Mayors to create convening bodies whose purpose, priorities and membership are decided at a regional level, and working with existing regional organisations such as sub-national transport bodies.

The legacy of the pan-Regional Partnership's activities will now be taken forward by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and England's Economic Heartland.  

Our work: 2023-25

Environment & Sustainability
Innovation &
Economy
Data
Observatory
Communications & events
Chaired by Cllr Bridget Smith


The region's partners came together to establish a common vision for environmental sustainability. This vision is articulated through the Region's Environment Principles which express a regional ambition and commitment to a holistic, regional-scale approach to delivering environmentally distinctive, sustainable economic growth, and a collective effort to respond to our most significant environmental challenges.

Our 2023-25 work programme was developed by, and delivered through, a wide range of contributors and experts from local government, environmental NGOs and nature partnerships, water and energy groups, central government agencies, Business Boards and universities. The programme was guided by a specially convened oversight group drawn from our Partnership's core membership and chaired by Board Member, Cllr Bridget Smith.  

Our work programme delivered:

A) Revising the Region's Environment Principles

Informed by extensive technical and political stakeholder engagement, the 2025 Environment Principles offers a framework to help achieve the region's vision, structured around five key themes: Net Zero Carbon, Nature and Land, Water, the Circular Economy, and Climate Change Adaptation. These Principles built on the 2021 Environment Principles work.

B) Bernwood, Otmoor and Ray - landscape scale nature recovery

In 2022, Buckinghamshire Council conducted a feasibility study to explore the possibility of reconnecting this managed ancient floodplain, emphasising both nature and agriculture. The project was identified as an intervention opportunity to explore what landscape scale nature recovery, delivered in tandem with the agricultural sector whilst supporting the opportunities to boost the rural economy, could look like. The PRP commissioned the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) to continue the project, building on the recommendations from the Buckinghamshire Council report. Download the Project's Final Report.
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C) Catalysing nature

The Partnership, in collaboration with the Earth Trust, commissioned research to expand the understanding of the Local Nature Recovery agenda, specifically the role “green spaces” can play in nature recovery. Read the Project's Final Report.

D)  Exploring the application of the region's geospatial expertise to monitor habitat conditions
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The Partnership commissioned the Satellite Application Catapult (SA Catapult) to explore how to harness the region’s expertise in earth observation and satellite technology to support local nature recovery with remote habitat monitoring. Working with the Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Nature Partnership, a facilitated workshop adopted a design based collaborative approach to uncover opportunities for the UK space sector to address the challenges and needs of organisations involved with biodiversity management. Download for project's findings.

E) Developing and articulating a vision for a South Midlands Community Forest

The "Doubling Nature" project, which predates the Partnership, identified opportunities for expanding tree cover and creating connected woodland across landscapes. In pursuing opportunities to secure funding and make a direct contribution to a regionally significant landscape project, the Partnership facilitated a regional expression of interest in DEFRA’s Forest for the Nation Competition. The Partnership commissioned the Nene Rivers Trust to prepare the bid, which was actively supported by the Woodlands Trust. Although the bid itself was not successful, the initiative did succeed in bringing together officers from several local authorities in the region around the concept of a pan-regional network for trees and woodland. Read the submission.

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Group meetings and meeting notes

Monday, 6th March 2023 | Meeting note
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Wednesday, 24th May 2023 | Agenda | Meeting notes
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‍Monday, 4th September 2023 | Agenda | Item 3 Work Programme
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Thursday, 25 February 2024 | Agenda | Item 2 Minutes 4 September | Item 3 Revision of Environment Principles | Item 3 a G 7 Communique | Item 3b Just Transition to Net Zero | Item 4a Habitat Monitoring | Item 4 b Environment Agency IWMF update | Item 5 Strategy Update | Minutes (Unconfirmed)  
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Thursday 9 May 2024 | Agenda | Item 2 Minutes 25 February | Item 4 Revision to the Environment Principles | Item 5 Environment Sub group progress update | Item 6 Partnership programme update

Wednesday 11 September 2024 | Agenda | Item 2 Approved minutes 9 May 2024 | Item 4 Revision to the Environment Principles | Item 4 Supplementary phase 1 report | Item 5 Environment sub-group update | Item 6 Partnership Programme update

‍Environment Principles

17 June 2024 Project drop-in session: view the project introduction presentation or re-watch the discussion via our Youtube channel.  

November 2024
Pre publication Environment Principles - Part one
Pre publication Environment Principles - Part two
Pre publication Environment Principles - Part three
Addendum - Mural Boards (optimised)
Addendum - Stakeholder mapping
Addendum - Theme Group TOR and briefing documents

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Chaired by Dr Barbara Ghinelli


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Global Investment Prospectus
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In May 2024, the Partnership launched the region's first international investment prospectus. The Prospectus is a collaborative piece of work highlighting the Oxford to Cambridge region's strengths, capabilities and investment successes in key and emerging sectors. It presented an initial suite of seven investible opportunities from public, private and university partners to a global investor audience.  Click on the Investment Atlas button below for more.

Science and technology business premises
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The Science, Innovation & Technology Business Premises Study, prepared by Iceni Projects with Carter Jonas and HDR, provides critical insights into the types of premises needed across the region.
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•  Diverse workspace needs: High demand for wet labs, dry labs, R&D offices, and advanced industrial spaces to accommodate specialised industries.
•   Rising demand: Particularly for R&D and lab space in Greater Cambridge and Oxfordshire, with opportunities for expansion in South Midlands and Buckinghamshire.
•  Location and connectivity: Businesses favour well-connected premises within established clusters, highlighting the need for targeted spatial development strategies.
•  Infrastructure challenges: Water demand in Greater Cambridge, energy constraints in Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire, and rural digital connectivity must be addressed to support growth.
•   Sustainability focus: Companies are increasingly prioritising energy-efficient, ESG-compliant premises, reinforcing the need for sustainable planning policies. Download and read the Study..

Innovation Network of Networks  

The vision for the Oxford-Cambridge Innovation Network of Networks was to foster innovation and collaboration within the region by boosting the connectedness, capacity and create the potential for new business partnerships to form across the cluster networks and science parks.

Through its Pilot year, the Network of Networks initiative hosted four events, bringing together 90 network leads from around 45 different cluster, innovation and science park managers, representing around 90,000 of the region's most innovative, high technology SMEs. Download and read the Network's Pilot Year report.

Also view the Partnership's Industrial Strategy Green Paper response - download.


Economic Prospectus (2020)Science SuperPower (2023)Investment Atlas (2024)

Group meetings and meeting notes

Friday 31st May 2023 - Agenda | Item 3, Terms of Reference | Item 4, International investment prospectus and atlas | Item 5, Innovation network of networks research | Item 6, Data observatory | Meeting notes

Tuesday 14 November 2023 - Agenda | Item 2, Minutes from previous meeting | Item 4 Innovation networks of networks update | Item 5, Proposal for a high-tech accommodation study

Tuesday 13 February 2024 - Agenda | Item 2, Minutes from previous meeting | Item 3 (confidential item) | Item 7 Science, Innovation and Technology Premises Study

Tuesday 14 May 2024 - Agenda | Item 2, Minutes from previous meeting

Tuesday 3 September 2024 -  Agenda | Minutes from previous meeting | Item 3 Proposal for a Inward Investment Group
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The Oxford to Cambridge Data Observatory Portal is a service providing a growing collection of transparent, unbiased, high-quality, and frequently updated economic and environmental evidence and insights. It is designed to provide partners and investors with a robust dataset to help make informed decisions when looking for opportunities in the region. It is equipped with robust research and analytical capability to support our partners in policy, business case development and project monitoring, all managed through a central team.

Enter the Data Observatory Portal  

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What can the Data Observatory Analyst support help you with?

Business case support: we can help stakeholders find and use the evidence they need for a range of business case developments, such as inward investment propositions, economic development projects, business support programmes and more. This may include advice for monitoring and evaluation of economic and environmental performance, if required.  

Economic and environmental research projects: support for Further Education and Higher Education academics conducting research projects covering the Oxford to Cambridge region.
 
Advice and understanding of data for the region: supporting communities to interpret and understand nuances behind the data where required.  

For more information about the Data Observatory and analyst service, please contact Jules Ient, @ jules.ient@cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk



All-Partner Conferences

Friday 29 November 2024, 180 partners headed to Milton Keynes for our second All-Partner Conference - making mission-driven change work. Thank you to everyone who joined us and for your feedback, invigoration and enthusiasm. Download the Partnership's Annual Review for more information about, including case studies from, the programmes and projects delivered through the Partnership.

View some of the photos taken from the day as well as the Slides from Speaker presentations: Shared Access Google Drive. You can watch the key note addresses and panel sessions via the Partnership's Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/@oxfordtocambridgePartnership.

Also, take a look at the 2023 All-Partner Conference highlights video.

Profiling the region

UKREIIF 2025 Many partners from the region will be heading to Leeds this month to represent their places and showcase investment opportunities at this year's UKREIIF. Partners will be hosted in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor Pavilion, located on the water.
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UKREIIF 2024‍
Download the 2024 Oxford-Cambridge Region @ UKREIIF event report or watch the short highlights video.
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Regional Narrative
As part of our work programme, the Partnership set out to establish a shared regional narrative to assist efforts to promote the region to external audiences, primarily international investors. Download the Oxford to Cambridge Region's regional narrative, photography and visual assets via a shared access Google Drive.

Our Board

The Oxford to Cambridge Partnership Board representation is outlined below. Cherwell District Council was the accountable body for the Partnership, responsible for administering finance, procurement and resources management. 
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Dipesh J Shah CBE,
Chair of
the Board

Biography

Cllr Andy Graham, Leader West Oxfordshire Council,
Chair of the Future Oxfordshire Partnership 

Cllr Peter Marland, Leader Milton Keynes Council,
Co-Chair of the South Midlands Authorities

Cllr Adam Brown, Leader West Northamptonshire Council, Co-Chair of the South Midlands Authorities

Mayor Dr Nik Johnson, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority

Al Kingsley, CEO Net Support Ltd.
representing
the region’s
Business Boards

Cllr Liz Leffman, Chair, representative
for England’s Economic Heartland

Prof. Alistair Fitt Chair, representing
the Arc Universities Group

Cllr Bridget Smith, Leader South Cambridgeshire District Council,
Environment sub-group Chair

Dr Paul Leinster CBE, OEP, Water Resources East, Bedford Local Nature Partnership

Dr Barbara Ghinelli, Director, Innovation Clusters and Harwell Campus, UKRI-STFC, Non-executive Director

Prof. Lynette Ryals OBE, CEO MK:U & Pro-vice-chancellor, Cranfield University, Non-executive Director

Cllr Susan Brown, Leader Oxford City Council, Co-opted Board Member

Board meetings and meeting notes

Our scheduled Board meetings:
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Friday, 2nd December 2022– Shadow Board Agenda | meeting notes (Confirmed at January Board)
Friday, 20th January 2023 – Shadow Board Agenda | Item 3 Draft Constitution | Item 5 Communications Paper | Item 5 Additional Paper | Meeting notes
Thursday, 16th March 2023 Shadow Board – Agenda | Meeting notes Thursday, 15th June 2023 – Shadow Board Agenda and meeting papers | Confirmed meeting notes
Thursday, 14th September 2023 - Board meeting Agenda and meeting papers. | Meeting recording. | Minutes (Confirmed)
Thursday, 23rd November 2023 - Board meeting Agenda and meeting papers.|  Meeting recording | Minutes (unconfirmed)
Thursday, 29th February 2024 - Board meeting agenda and meeting papers | Meeting recording |  Minutes (Unconfirmed)
Thursday 6 June 2024 - Board meeting agenda and meeting papers | Recording unavailable due to technical issues | Minutes (unconfirmed)  
Thursday 19 September 2024 -  Agenda and meeting papers | Minutes (unconfirmed) | Meeting Transcript
Wednesday 16 October 2024 - Agenda and meeting papers | Minutes (unconfirmed) | Meeting Transcript
Thursday 28 November 2024 - Agenda and meeting papers | Minutes (unconfirmed | Meeting Transcript
Thursday 27 February 2025 - Agenda and meeting papers | Minutes (unconfirmed)

Oxford to Cambridge pan-Regional Partner closure written procedure - End of Year Finance Update | Proposal for the Transfer of Legacy Assets | Proposal for the Transfer of Legacy Assets (Annex A)
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Additional meetings:

2 February 2023- Mid year review meeting with government. Presentation.
30 March 2023- Annual Performance Review meeting with government. Meeting notes
17 November 2023 - Mid year review meeting with government. Meeting notes
17 October 2024 - Mid year review meeting with government. Presentation | Meeting notes
18 March 2025 - Annual Performance Review meeting with government. Presentation | meeting notes

‍Partnership documentation:
Oxford to Cambridge Partnership Constitution Download
The Partnership's mission statement and strategic priorities Download
2023-25 Partnership Strategy Download
Board members Declaration of Interests Download‍
‍Letter from former Secretary of State, Rt. Hon. Michael Gove MP, endorsing proposal to set up a Pan-regional Partnership Download
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