All organisations must start somewhere, for Oxford Innovation our roots lie in the first commercial spin-out from Oxford University – Oxford Instruments PLC.

Founded in 1959 by the late Sir Martin and Lady Audrey Wood, their experience of developing a spin-out company revealed the challenges faced by entrepreneurs and inspired them to set up The Oxford Trust, a charitable trust which continues to support the region’s science and technology ecosystem today. Through the problems they unearthed and their work with the Oxford Trust, in 1987 Oxford Innovation was born.

Since then, we have supported over 35,000 SMEs to become sustainable businesses, creating high value jobs, innovative products and services and as a result, enhanced local economies. Having started with a couple of portacabins in Osney Mead, Oxford, we now manage the UK’s largest network of innovation centres housing over 1,000 innovative early stage businesses.