Welcome to the
Oxford to Cambridge
Partnership

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

Our Mission is 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.

What are we doing?

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

The region's partners have come 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 is guided by a specially convened oversight group drawn from our Partnership's core membership and is chaired by Board Member, Cllr Bridget Smith.  

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 build on the 2021 Environment Principles work.


Other actions taken forward in the work programme include:

1) Supporting the delivery of the Environment Agency's Integrated Water Management Framework programme.
2) Exploring the application of green finance for large landscape and catchment-scale investment opportunities.
3) Supporting cross-boundary Local Nature Recovery Strategy Compliance.
4) Developing and articulating a vision for a South Midlands Community Forest.
5) Leaning on the region's satellite and drone expertise to explore opportunities for innovative tools and techniques that quantify and monitor habitat condition and quality. 
6) Identifying best practices and exemplars about incorporating people, nature and biodiversity in the built environment. 
7) Engagement with organisations across the electricity distribution network to unlock opportunities to create a flexible distribution system. This partner-led project will examine known electricity supply constraints and seek to establish a roadmap that provides certainty to investors and stakeholders. 
9) Supporting regionally significant environmental infrastructure and sustainable land management practice.  

For more information about this Work Programme, please contact Nathan Vear CEnv MIEMA FCMI, Environment and Sustainability Lead.

SPARK WORKSHOP REPORT: How might remote sensing support biodiversity monitoring? | Download
‍
‍

Group meetings and meeting notes

Monday, 6th March 2023 | Meeting note
‍
Wednesday, 24th May 2023 | Agenda | Meeting notes
‍
‍Monday, 4th September 2023 | Agenda | Item 3 Work Programme
‍
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)  
‍
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

‍

‍

‍

Chaired by Dr Barbara Ghinelli


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

Science and technology business premises
‍
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.
‍
•  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 today.

Innovation Network of Networks  

The vision for the Oxford-Cambridge Innovation Network of Networks is 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.

For more information about the Partnership's Economy and Innovation programme, contact Placi Espejo, programme lead officer.


Economic ProspectusScience SuperPowerInvestment Atlas

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
‍
‍

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.

The Observatory provides three key outputs:
1. a maintained data portal
2. a regional overview report
3. a bespoke analyst support service

Enter the Data Observatory Portal  

‍
What can we 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 to request analyst support, please get in touch with Arthur Le Geyt or Paolo Ferraro.


Friday 29 November, we were back at the Ridgeway Centre, 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.

View some of the photos taken from the day as well as the Slides from Speaker presentations: Shared Access.


Conference Programme:
‍
Arrivals from 9.00:   Coffee, Pastries and Conversation
‍
10.00-10.15:            Chairman's welcome and annual review. Dipesh J Shah CBE.
    
10.15-10.45:            State of the Region - what's next?
                                - Board member reflections on projects, programmes, networks and investments secured through                                   pan- regional collaboration.  with Mayor Dr Nik Johnson Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined                                   Authority, Prof. Alistair Fitt, Vice Chancellor Oxford Brookes University, Cllr Susan Brown, Leader Oxford                                   City Council, Al Kingsley, CEO Netsupport Ltd., Cllr Liz Leffman, Leader Oxfordshire County Council. Cllr                                   Andy Graham, Leader, West Oxfordshire Council. Dr Barbara Ghinelli, Director Innovation Clusters and                                   Harwell Campus.  Chaired by Dr Richard Hutchins, Managing Director, pan-Regional Partnership.  
‍
10.45-12.00:            Headwinds and tailwinds: in a fast-changing economic landscape how to we stay ahead?
                                - Chair Sarah Haywood, Managing Director, Advanced Oxford.
                                - Keynote address: Shaun Grady, Senior Vice President Business Development Operations,                                   AstraZeneca UK
                                - Economic potential of the Oxford-Cambridge Supercluster, Report Author, Rachel Wolf, Founding Partner,                                   Public First
                                - Panel and Q& A with Jason Longhurst, Head of Sustainable Investment and Partnerships, Prologis UK.                                   Matt Kinghan, Director, Iceni Projects Ltd. Prof. Lynette Ryals OBE, Pro Vice-Chancellor Cranfield                                   University. Zoe Metcalfe, Director, Local and Central Government, AtkinsRéalis,

12.00-12.15:            Showcase - Arc Universities Student Panel reflections: embedding sustainability into regional growth.
                                - Dr Winifred Soribe, Entrepreneur in Residence

12.15-13.15             Networking lunch

13.15-13.45             Keynote address: David Hughes, Chief Executive, East West Rail

13.45-15.15             Blueprint for success: putting sustainability at the heart of sustained growth
                                - Chair Cllr Bridget Smith, Leader South Cambridgeshire District Council
                               - Keynote address: Catriona Riddell, independent consultant. Mission Growth: the importance of                                   partnership working within the new strategic planning environment.  
                                - Panel discussion and Q&A with Naomi Green, England's Economic Heartland. Jayne Manley, Founder,                                   Sunnyhill Consultants, Matthew Stanton, Conservation Strategy Director, BBOWT, Dr Edel McGurk,                                   Regional Director, Natural England.

15.15-15.30:             Chair's closing address.

Take a look back at the All Partner Conference 2023: Conference highlights video.

Our Board

The Oxford to Cambridge Partnership Board representation is outlined below. Cherwell District Council is the accountable body for the Partnership, responsible for administering finance, procurement and resources management. 
‍

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:
‍
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
‍

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

‍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
Development of Expressions of Interest for the Oxford to Cambridge Pan-Regional Partnership International Investment Prospectus 2024/2025 Download
‍
‍
‍Letter from Secretary of State, Rt. Hon. Michael Gove MP, endorsing proposal to set up a Pan-regional Partnership Download
Terms of References
1. Innovation and Economy sub-group
2. Environment and Sustainability sub-group
3. Branding and identity informal steering group Download