Labour growth minister Dan Tomlinson has set out plans to bring together ministers and local leaders to discuss how the Oxford–Cambridge corridor can fulfil its economic potential.
The Labour growth minister said he and Lord Vallance would convene discussions in the coming weeks, following a report examining how the region compares with international innovation centres including Boston, Austin and Paris.
Tomlinson said his work would focus on the investment and scale needed to support growth in both the Oxford–Cambridge corridor and the Northern Growth Corridor.
Tomlinson: ‘turn this ambition into reality’
“On OxCam in particular, Lord Vallance and I will be convening local leaders, Ministers, and others in the coming weeks to discuss the key actions that will turn this ambition into reality,” he wrote.
He emphasised that the work should encompass Milton Keynes, Bedford and Northampton, as well as Oxford and Cambridge.
What the report found
The report, published on 27 September by Public First and the Oxford-Cambridge Supercluster Board, highlights the region’s considerable research strengths. Its benchmarking finds that, relative to its size, the corridor has produced more university spinouts than the other innovation clusters compared.
But the researchers also identify barriers preventing businesses from growing, including access to later-stage investment, commercialising research, retaining talent, infrastructure and transport connections.
The distinction matters: producing discoveries and new businesses does not automatically ensure those businesses can expand locally.
Lord Vallance, who chairs the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor, contributed a foreword stressing the need to translate Britain’s innovation into products, companies and growth.
Tomlinson’s intervention signals further work on those challenges rather than a new funding allocation. The planned discussions will focus on identifying practical steps to help the corridor’s research and enterprise strengths support a larger, more successful regional economy.
