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


‍Our environment group brings together contributors and experts from local government, environmental NGOs and nature partnerships, water and energy groups, central government agencies, LEPs and universities. 

At its September 2023 Board meeting, the Partnership agreed its environment work programme. This programme was developed with input from a wide group of organisations and guided by a specially convened oversight group drawn from the Partnership's core membership. 

The adopted work programme brings focus and prioritisation to the Partnership's environmental agenda and aligns with the Partnership's endorsed Environment Principles. 

Actions to be taken forward include:

1) Refreshing the Environmental Principles to reflect changes in the policy landscape and to articulate regional aspirations for environmentally progressive sustainable growth. 
2) Supporting the delivery of the Environment Agency's Integrated Water Management Framework programme.
3) Exploring the application of green finance for large landscape and catchment-scale investment opportunities.
4) Supporting cross-boundary Local Nature Recovery Strategy Compliance.
5) Developing and articulating a vision for a South Midlands Community Forest.
6) 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. 
7) Identifying best practices and exemplars about incorporating people, nature and biodiversity in the built environment. 
8) 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.
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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


Environment Principles Renewal

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

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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.
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Network of innovation networks
This spring, the Partnership convened the first gathering of the region's innovation networks and clusters, with the intention to create a region-wide innovation and data hub. The aim of this programme is to create the environment to develop partnerships and deeper collaboration among network leaders and managers across the region.

The first network workshop in Milton Keynes, attendees discussed the region’s shared priorities and goals, and the opportunities for networks to collaborate and how to address these. Themes discussed included:

1. What challenges are networks facing currently?
2. What are the opportunities present for innovator collaboration?
3. What are the opportunities present for innovator funding?

To get involved contact the Network facilitator Sylvie Russell from Cambridge Cleantech or Placi Espejo.

The next network sessions will take place:
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* 10 July 2024, Cambridge
* 15 October 2024, Silverstone (tbc)
* January 2025, Oxford

We also have a private LinkedIn Group for knowledge sharing around network leadership and regional innovation capacity so contact us to join.

Science and technology business premises
Activity is currently underway to complete a study of the region's science, innovation and technology business premises. This work will enable the Partnership and its local authority partners to better understand the conditions and opportunities for long-term development of the science, innovation and technology sectors as well as understand the optimal types and configurations of commercial units best able to support the sustainability of the sectors across the region.

The Partnership has commissioned Iceni Projects, in conjunction with Carter Jones and HDR Inc, to undertake this work. As part of the initial information gathering exercise, they have launched an business survey, aimed a businesses within science, innovation and technology (SIT) sectors. The purpose of this survey is to understand the preferences around the characteristics and location of SIT premises. If this includes your business, please complete the survey by Friday, 5 July 2024: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SITPremisesBusinessSurvey

It is expected that the full study will be completed by end January 2025.

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


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
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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.

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  

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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.

21 - 23 May 2024
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Colleagues from across the Region came together at this year's UK Real Estate and Infrastructure Investment Conference (UKREiiF) in Leeds, Tuesday 21 May to Thursday 23 May.  

We were there to showcase the investment potential and dynamic innovation ecosystem that characterises the Oxford to Cambridge region.  Our pan-regional collaboration is on a mission to accelerate economic opportunities created by our region’s science, technology, and business strengths, and to work with investors, real estate professionals, developers and government to achieve significant environmental enhancements and unlock investment for inclusive, high quality sustainable development for our region.

Our aim is to help shift the dial on business and investment decisions from being ‘cautiously optimistic’ to 'confidently ambitious'

Over the three days, Partners hosted a packed programme of events. Download our full event programme. Take a glance on what happened in our highlights video on YouTube.


‍18 June 2024
‍Creating a scientific superpower - Tuesday 18th June, 8am to 5pm | QEII Conference Centre, Broad Sanctuary, London, SW1P 3EE

We're delighted to be supporting the Creating a Scientific Superpower conference, back for its third year.

Throughout the day, you'll be hearing from experts and participating in discussions centred on unleashing the UK's potential as a scientific powerhouse, fostering a globally competitive environment, and boosting national productivity through cutting-edge manufacturing and advanced R&D.  

Watch a conference highlights video via the Arc Universities Group website‍‍‍

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. 
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Dipesh J Shah CBE,
Chair of
the Board

Biography

Cllr Susan Brown, Leader Oxford City Council,
Chair of the Future Oxfordshire Partnership 

Cllr Peter Marland, Leader Milton Keynes Council,
Co-Chair of the Central Area Growth Board  

Cllr Adam Brown, Leader West Northamptonshire Council, Co-Chair of the Central Area Growth Board  

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

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
Thursday 28 November 2024
Thursday 27 February 2025
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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

‍Partnership documentation:
Oxford to Cambridge Partnership Constitution Download
The Partnership's mission statement and strategic priorities 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 ‍