focus on oxfordshire – roundtable 35


The Business Magazine and business park owner MEPC hosted this discussion on Oxfordshire, its thriving local economy, its global aspirations, and discovered …


A business environment eager to progress from good to great


Participants


Andrew Barlow: Commercial director, MEPC


Philip Campbell: Head of leasing and development, MEPC


Steve Clarke: Managing partner, James Cowper LLP


Anthony Foxlee-Brown: Marketing communications manager, Grundon Waste Management


Nikki Godding: Sales and marketing director, Business Learning Foundation


Dr Malcolm Newdick: Managing director, Riverbank IT


Beverley Sunderland: Director, Crossland Employment Solicitors


Nigel Tipple: Chief executive, Oxfordshire LEP


Christopher Willmott: Chief executive, Sprint Enterprise Technology


David Murray:


Managing editor and publisher of The Business Magazine, chaired the discussion


Lined up to debate: our Roundtable team


Government approval of the Oxford and Oxfordshire City Deal provided a New Year boost and significant funding for the region’s future.


The City Deal bid, led by the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) secured £55.5 million of central government funding which will now be used locally through the LEP to boost innovation, business growth and job creation.


Four ‘innovation incubators’ will be established around the county to support spinout companies and those with the potential to grow, innovate and take their products to national and international markets. Road and rail networks are set to be improved along with better public transport links and additional housing.


It has been estimated that the Government’s funding stimulus could be worth £1.2 billion to


Journalist John Burbedge reports the Roundtable highlights


It’s an exciting time for the region


Following the Local Enterprise Partnership’s successful City Deal bid, Nigel Tipple, chief executive of the LEP, was naturally enthusiastic and confident about Oxford and Oxfordshire’s future potential, but harnessing and guiding that potential was now the LEP’s key challenge.


“We recognise that brand ‘Oxford’ has a tremendous wealth of assets and resources. We have been working with businesses like MEPC to strengthen that branded proposition, establishing our attributes and how we translate them into real business growth opportunities. Also, our constraints: whether that’s infrastructure, skills, business


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – APRIL 2014


support activities or the physical environment, housing, employment, space etc.”


The LEP’s aim is to build on existing aspects of success while turning negatives to positive opportunities. It is doing this through greater negotiation with government, bringing universities closer to businesses, while working with its local authorities in a collective way.


The Government is also keen to invest in proven success, and the City Deal bid had highlighted Oxford and Oxfordshire’s economic potential. “A key regional statistic is unemployment under 1.1% with less than 5,000 receiving Job-Seekers Allowance. That’s as near to full employment as you are going to get in this country.


Nigel Tipple


“We have significant growth potential. We have world-leading, not just world- class, universities and science, biotech and automotive sectors. We’ve got the Diamond


Continued overleaf ... www.businessmag.co.uk


the region once other predicted investment is factored into the City Deal proposals.


City Deal funding should give Oxfordshire the tools to make the most of its world- renowned science and research, creating jobs and driving the local economy for years to come.


Did the Roundtable agree?


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