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news opinion
Common etiquette says not to talk about politics, sex or religion – at least not in polite company. So as a trusted resource for regional business news, this is breaking the mould on at least two counts
Politics, for one, is not within our remit. But when Brexit, and its financial implications, are on the minds of every business leader in the country, the rules inevitably change.
So what are our business leaders thinking in the lead up to the referendum? From where we stand it seems many people are undecided, and that’s hardly surprising considering the facts appear particularly elusive.
Arguments over migration and sovereignty aside, we don’t know what to expect in either outcome.
• How would an exit affect exports between Britain and the EU?
• How many jobs in Britain depend on staying in, and to what extent might they be affected?
• And what about our contribution to the EU budget?
Uncertainty has a nasty habit of leading to exaggeration and distortion.
This said we’d like to see both sides presenting as many facts as they can so businesses can make well-informed decisions. (Please send us your views to share.) Then, whatever the outcome on June 23, UK businesses must be ready to take maximum advantage of the decision.
Another sometimes-contentious topic is that of gender equality in the workplace. At The Business Magazine we’ve been looking at how to present this as being not about the exclusion of men, but rather the inclusion of women.
Our 2016 initiative recognises all efforts – by women, men, individuals and organisations – to address gender divides in the workplace: the pay gap and the small percentage of women in senior roles to name just two.
Carry de la Harpe Editor
The anniversary event was held at The Sadler Building, The Oxford Science Park
The Oxford Science Park’s 25th anniversary, and Magdalen’s full acquisition of it and plans for its future development, were recently celebrated at a glittering event hosted by the College.
Lord Drayson, entrepreneur in residence at Magdalen College, paid tribute to Oxford’s early pioneers who had the foresight to create the Park in 1991, and toasted success for the next generation of entrepreneurs.
He said: “When we came to the Park in 1993 to set up PowderJect, Magdalen College and its dons supported us by providing flexibility with our rent, office space and room to grow, in return for a small equity share. This paid off; we became a £550 million company, the world’s sixth-largest vaccine company with a 40-times return to investors, including Magdalen and its dons, and with £21m to the University to help build the new engineering building on South Parks Road.
“This entreprenurial culture and expertise has been recycled into many other companies which have come out of PowderJect, many of them growing up on the Park: Circassia, MedPhram, PsiOxus, Powdermed, Oxford Immunotech – surpassing the wealth creation of PowderJect manyfold.
“We have seen a transformation in Oxford’s financing with the creation of Oxford Sciences Innovation – championed by another Magdalen College person, Peter Davies of Lansdowne, with a breakthrough £320m fund, which alongside the Woodford Patient Capital Fund based in Cowley, means that Oxford entrepreneurs now have access to the capital to realise the full potential of their ideas. This reflects a sea change in the attitude of the University of Oxford which now has innovation and wealth creation firmly at the heart of its agenda.”
www.businessmag.co.uk
The event also celebrated Magdalen’s recent acquisition of the outstanding 50% stake in the Park’s joint venture for £18.1m. This allows it to take 100% control of its management and future development, with a strategic commitment to develop an additional 300,000 sq ft of new office and laboratory space on the remaining 12.8 acres of land.
Rory Maw, bursar of Magdalen College, said: “We are demonstrating our commitment to the Park’s future development, helping Oxford’s growing community of science, technology and business-services companies to establish themselves, innovate, and thrive.”
The Park is one of the most influential environments in the UK. Set in 75 acres of beautifully-landscaped grounds with an atmosphere of discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship, it is a community with over 2,400 people in more than 60 companies, ranging from start-ups based in the Magdalen Centre innovation hub to SMEs to major international companies.
Details:
www.oxfordsp.com
Oxford Science Park toasts 25 years
Lord Drayson THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – APRIL 2016
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