The University of Oxford is playing a central role in a new 10-year strategy to strengthen Oxfordshire's position as a global centre for innovation, attract investment and ensure more local communities benefit from economic growth.
The Equinox 2035 Strategy , launched at the House of Commons on 19 October, sets out ambitions to create 20 billion-dollar companies, known as 'unicorns', attract more than £1 billion a year in investment and generate 30,000 new jobs linked to innovation by 2035.
The strategy brings together universities, businesses, investors, government and community organisations to build on Oxfordshire's strengths in research and innovation, while creating more opportunities for people across the county.
The University of Oxford is a driving force behind Equinox, bringing partners together and supporting collaboration across the region. Vice-Chancellor Professor Irene Tracey chairs the Equinox Council, while Dr Olga Kozlova, the University's Director of Innovation and Engagement, serves as Equinox CEO.
Oxford's research and innovation ecosystem provides a strong foundation for the strategy. Through its innovation partner, Oxford University Innovation, the University has supported the creation of more than 350 companies, which have collectively attracted over £8 billion in investment since 2011.
Professor Irene Tracey CBE FRS FMedSci, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford and Chair of the Equinox Council, said: 'Oxfordshire is a national asset with global reach. Our challenge is not whether we can innovate - we have demonstrated that decisively. The question now is how we ensure the benefits of that innovation are anchored here in the UK: that our companies can start, scale and stay; that our talent sees a future here; and that the prosperity created by innovation is felt far beyond our laboratories and campuses, in the communities that surround them.'
The strategy identifies four priorities: strengthening Oxfordshire's global competitiveness, helping high-growth companies access investment, widening access to jobs and opportunities, and improving the use of regional data to inform decisions.
Practical plans to deliver the strategy include a new regional Inward Investment Unit to help international investors navigate opportunities across Oxfordshire, stronger support for growing businesses and new skills pathways connecting local people with jobs in innovation.
More than 100 organisations have already signed the Equinox Charter, reflecting a shared commitment to making Oxfordshire's innovation economy more connected, competitive and inclusive.
The University's involvement reflects its wider commitment to supporting equitable economic growth and ensuring that its research, expertise and partnerships deliver benefits locally as well as globally.
