Telling Oxfordshire's innovation story: Spacecraft joins Get Radio's Business Brunch

How do we ensure Oxfordshire's extraordinary innovation story is heard around the world?

That was the focus of a recent discussion on Get Radio's Sunday Business Brunch, where Spacecraft Consulting's Founder and CEO, Olivia Lane-Nott, joined Ben Thompson, Wendy Tindsley of Oxford Innovation Space and Placi Espejo of Enterprise Oxfordshire to explore what makes Oxfordshire one of the world's leading innovation ecosystems, and why telling its story matters.

During the discussion, Olivia drew on examples from across Spacecraft's clients and the pioneering businesses based within them, from future mobility and fusion energy to life sciences and advanced engineering, illustrating how collaboration between people, places and organisations continues to strengthen Oxfordshire's position on the global stage.

Interview highlights

Introducing the guests

Placi Espejo

“I lead on creating an internationally compelling narrative to describe Oxfordshire and attract more companies into the area highlighting how special Oxfordshire is, the sectors in which it leads, its green credentials and what makes it an incredible community. “I’m also fortunate to bring our sectors together regularly to discuss how we can work and collaborate more often and more effectively.”

Wendy Tindsley

“Oxford Innovation Space has been part of the ecosystem for more than 40 years. We have eight innovation centres in Oxfordshire, but we’re very clear that we don’t just provide spaces. “My role within that ecosystem is to help the companies in our centres start, thrive and grow.”

Olivia Lane-Nott

“I’m the founder of Spacecraft Consulting and I work with many of Oxfordshire’s leading science, innovation and business destinations, including Bicester Motion, Milton Park, The Oxford Trust’s two innovation centres and Wootton Science Park. “I help them tell their stories, and the stories of the companies based within those places, helping them to attract investment and talent, and ultimately helping more businesses choose to start, grow and stay in this awesome county.”

The people at the heart of Oxfordshire’s ecosystem

Reflecting on why she chose Coldplay's My Universe as her song for the programme, Olivia explained:

“At the heart of everything we do, it is always about people. “We have brilliant scientists, entrepreneurs, engineers, researchers, inventors and investors, and they all come together as a universe to solve problems and create opportunities. “It reminds me that we never achieve anything entirely on our own. It is always about being together, which feels very relevant to the innovation ecosystem.”

What makes an innovation ecosystem?

Placi described the different components that together create the conditions for innovation:

“An innovation ecosystem includes local authorities, intellectual property and the ideas that may become businesses. It includes the funding those businesses need and the accommodation and support space into which they can move. “But I like to add a sixth element: human capital - the people who make the innovation ecosystem what it is. “In the property element, it is the people who make incubation facilities and science and technology parks special by supporting companies as they scale and grow. Among funders, it is the investors who build relationships with those companies and support them. “For me, human capital joins everything together. I don’t think we can replace that at all.”

She added:

“Oxfordshire is particularly special because it is such a hotbed of innovation, with an incredible collection of assets across every part of the ecosystem. “But above all, we have incredibly driven and clever people who make Oxfordshire very special.”

Helping founders build strong businesses

Wendy explained why supporting an innovation business requires far more than providing an office or laboratory:

“When a founder starts a business, they are usually coming from a technical standpoint. They have a really great idea and they are experts in that particular subject, but when they start a business, there is so much more to learn. “No business comes with a manual. Part of what I do is help founders understand how to create good foundations for a business because it is very difficult to retrofit those later.”

She described the importance of coaching, practical support and peer learning:

“One part is one-to-one coaching. We agree goals, revisit them and explore the barriers the founder has encountered. “Companies also come into their offices, laboratories and workspaces, shut the doors and become incredibly busy. I have the privilege of being able to look across the ecosystem and identify opportunities that may be relevant to them. “Then there is the value of the community itself. There are so many people who have already been on part of that journey or encountered a particular pitfall and can say, ‘Don’t do it this way.’ “It is about harnessing the value of that community and making it work well.”

Why Oxfordshire works

Asked what makes Oxfordshire’s innovation economy successful, Olivia said:

“It works because all these pieces exist together. “You can have brilliant research, but if there is nowhere for companies to grow, they leave. You can have fantastic buildings, but if there isn’t talent, companies won’t come. You can have great businesses, but if there isn’t investment, they won’t scale. “And you can have all of that, but if you haven’t got collaboration and connectivity, you miss opportunities.”

She identified Oxfordshire’s greatest advantage as its people:

“Oxfordshire’s greatest competitive advantage isn’t any one company, building or organisation. It is talent. “We have this incredible concentration of world-class scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs and researchers within a relatively small geography. “And talent attracts talent.”

Olivia illustrated the point through inward investment and client examples:

“Why did Larry Ellison, the founder of Oracle, choose to invest billions in Oxford and build the Ellison Institute of Technology? Because the talent is here. “Why did the Audi Revolut F1 Team, based in Germany and Switzerland, decide to establish its new UK technical centre at Bicester Motion? Because the engineering expertise is here. “Why do global life sciences companies continue to invest in Oxfordshire? Because the science is here. “And why has Oxfordshire become Motorsport Valley? Because generations of engineering excellence have created one of the most talented and specialised clusters anywhere in the world.”

She concluded:

“Talent creates ecosystems. One of our roles is to ensure the world knows where that talent is and what is happening here. “There is so much knowledge-sharing, collaboration and community. That is what makes Oxfordshire an amazing place to be.”

Collaboration, relationships and Oxford North

Placi emphasised that an ecosystem cannot function through infrastructure alone:

“This is very much about relationship-building. You can build an ecosystem, but if you don’t have relationships between its different parts, those parts will never talk to each other. “We are very fortunate to have selfless individuals in Oxfordshire who are willing to connect people, share knowledge and share contacts.”

She explained that the results of collaboration can take time to emerge:

“Sometimes it is a ripple effect. Strong relationships across an ecosystem can help unlock funding for roads, bridges and other infrastructure. “They support job creation as companies emerge from universities, research facilities or simply from someone tinkering away in a workshop. “They also contribute to sustainable growth and the creation of green and community spaces.”

Placi highlighted Oxford North as an example:

“Liv has been working with Oxford North, where they have done enormous work around the creation of green and sustainable spaces before the development has even been completed. “You only have to look at the masterplans emerging from the commercial sector to see how important community and the green environment are to the growth of an innovation ecosystem.”

She also spoke warmly about the relationships within Oxfordshire:

“I can pick up the phone to Wendy or Liv and ask for something, and there will undoubtedly be a name, a venue or an introduction. “We are fortunate that there are many ‘Wendys and Livs’ across the ecosystem.”

Keeping growing companies in Oxfordshire

Wendy described the challenge of retaining businesses once they move beyond their earliest stages:

“We are very good at starting and incubating early-stage companies, particularly, but not exclusively, those emerging from the universities. “The greatest challenge is holding on to these really talented, exciting potential unicorns as they grow.”

She suggested that Oxfordshire’s specialist clusters can become powerful anchors:

“We have significant clusters in areas including fusion, quantum, engineering and life sciences. “Once companies have those connections and relationships, it becomes easier to stay because everything they need is within the cluster. They know where to turn for supply chains, talent and support.”

Wendy acknowledged that the ecosystem can sometimes appear difficult to navigate from outside:

“Although Placi, Olivia and I know the ecosystem very well, it can be seen as quite impenetrable. “But there are many well-connected people who can help others find their way around it. As long as somebody can find one of those connectors, they can usually find their route through the ecosystem. “Perhaps we need to make that more obvious.”

Is Oxford good at telling its story?

Asked about the strength of “Brand Oxford”, Olivia said:

“Oxford is one of the most globally recognised place brands in the world. People immediately associate Oxford with excellence. “They think of the University, the dreaming spires, punting, the libraries and museums, literary figures such as J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Lewis Carroll, and, of course, Harry Potter. “That global recognition is an enormous asset. But what excites me is the next chapter of the story: people discovering the wider Oxfordshire ecosystem beyond the University and its colleges.”

She referenced Oxford’s international impact:

“The Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine demonstrated Oxford’s ability to have global impact. There is the University’s work on Ebola vaccines, AI, medical science and its countless spin-outs. “There are remarkable stories emerging from Oxfordshire every day.”

Milton Park: Tokamak Energy and Immunocore

Olivia highlighted two companies at Milton Park:

“At Milton Park, Tokamak Energy is working on fusion energy - technology that could one day provide cleaner, virtually limitless power for future generations. “That is mind-blowing.”

She also described Immunocore as one of Oxfordshire’s greatest success stories:

“Immunocore is also based at Milton Park. It began with University of Oxford research, has become a NASDAQ-listed company and is developing pioneering cancer treatments. “Its work has gone from the laboratory to the clinic and, very personally for me, is now helping to treat a family friend with leukaemia. “This is real-world impact, and it is why I think Brand Oxford is so incredibly strong.”

The Oxford Trust and Newrotex

Olivia then highlighted Newrotex, based at The Oxford Trust’s Wood Centre for Innovation in Headington:

“Newrotex is using spider silk from the Madagascan golden orb-web spider to help repair damaged nerves. “In the simplest possible terms, the spider silk acts as a scaffold to help repair those damaged nerves. “It sounds extraordinary, but it has the potential to transform patient outcomes - and this is happening in a relatively small part of Headington, within a much wider cluster.”

Wild Bioscience and Bicester Motion

Olivia continued with further examples from her clients and their occupiers:

“Wild Bioscience is exploring ways to develop more sustainable crops in a changing climate."

“At Bicester Motion, Zero Petroleum is developing sustainable synthetic fuels that could transform how we fly and travel around the world. “Then there are quantum technologies and so many other areas of innovation.”

She summarised the scale of Oxfordshire’s opportunity:

“It isn’t an issue of a lack of stories in Oxford. “There are just so many extraordinary stories to tell. The question is how we make sure we are telling them, because they are mind-blowing.”

Becoming more confident about Oxfordshire’s success

Placi agreed that Oxfordshire must become more willing to celebrate itself:

“Over the years, we have seen that we shy away from telling people how good we are. “We are not always good at saying, ‘Look at us. Look at the companies we have and the global, health and wellbeing challenges we are helping to solve.’ “We need to recognise that it is okay to blow our own trumpet. We need to know when to do it and which stories to tell, but we should be more celebratory of the good things happening in Oxfordshire.”

She added:

“We attend many panels and events where the conversation focuses on the challenges and obstacles we face, but we don’t always talk about the good things. “Of course we must address our challenges, but we also need to build the brand and reward the different parts of the ecosystem by telling them: ‘You’re brilliant.’”

From discovery to delivery

Olivia used the analogy of a relay race to explain how an idea becomes real-world impact:

“I think of the ecosystem a little like a relay race. “A researcher develops an idea. The idea becomes a spin-out. An innovation centre gives it somewhere to start. An investor provides funding. A science park gives it room to grow. Larger partners then work with the business, and the company creates jobs, products and impact around the world. “No single organisation can do all of that. “Success comes from handing the baton smoothly from one part of the ecosystem to the next.”

The discussion also considered the broader impact of innovation, from employment and economic growth to outreach and inspiring future generations of scientists and technologists.

The guests’ closing advice

Placi Espejo

“Don’t be afraid to reach out. “Don’t be afraid to email somebody or make that call, because it could be the difference between securing funding, gaining an introduction, making your first sale or finding your first employee.”

Wendy Tindsley

“Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and reach out to somebody you know is well-connected because they will help join the dots. “You may not know immediately who or what you need, but start asking the questions. Ask for help and eventually you will find the answer.”

Olivia Lane-Nott

“Be authentic in your storytelling. Be authentic, be true and be genuine. “But equally, get out there and tell your story, because there are amazing stories that we haven’t even touched upon today that are ready to be unlocked. “You never know what opportunity unlocking that story might create.”

The discussion was a timely reminder that Oxfordshire's greatest strength isn't simply its research, science or technology - it is the people, partnerships and places that work together to turn ideas into global impact.

Spacecraft would like to thank Ben Thompson and the Get Radio team for the invitation, and Wendy Tindsley and Placi Espejo for such an insightful and enjoyable conversation celebrating one of the UK's most dynamic innovation ecosystems.

You can listen to the full Business Brunch episode on Get Radio here.