From tokamaks to treatments for diseases
Published on 14 October 2024
Image: You may have spotted the billboard above at Milton Park, showcasing our innovation community in action…
What makes an innovation community?
Whether it’s pioneering life-saving treatments or advancing clean fusion energy, the innovators at Milton Park are drawn here for the same reasons: to connect, collaborate and drive forward with purpose.
As the UK’s largest science, business and technology community, Milton Park’s unique single ownership model offers over 250 companies the flexibility to grow sustainably.
Acting like one giant incubator, occupiers can scale up and move seamlessly within Milton Park as their needs evolve, whether they’re a start-up or a global organisation.
A history of innovation
Since the late 1980s, Milton Park has been a launchpad for innovative companies. Recognising the challenges early-stage science companies faced with long leases and financing, Milton Park made the decision to support start-ups and spinouts with its flexible, short-term leasing options and space to grow.
This enabled Oxford University spinouts, such as Oxford Asymmetry International, later bought by Evotec, to innovate, expand and build partnerships. Today, the global drug discovery and development company is one of the Park’s largest occupiers, alongside Nasdaq-listed Avidex spin outs, Adaptimmune and Immunocore.
Powering growth
With a unique simplified ten-day planning policy and having invested in its own electrical infrastructure, Milton Park allows occupiers to scale up whatever their size or power requirements. From innovative start-ups to unicorns and global organisations, Milton Park supports a pipeline of growth opportunities.
A report by high-growth insights firm, Beauhurst, showed that from 2013 to 2023, occupiers based at Milton Park secured 7.56% of the UK’s overall investment in life sciences, equating to £953m.
From tokamaks…
Supported by Milton Park’s enhanced power supply, Tokamak Energy is pioneering fusion energy for the future at its Milton Park HQ. Its recently launched division, TE Magnetics, is focused on commercialising high-performance HTS magnets for various applications, including medical and scientific research.
…to treatments for diseases…
NeoVac, which recently moved to Milton Park, is creating revolutionary next-generation lipid nanoparticles to give more people around the world access to better RNA vaccines and treatments for various diseases. Read more about how NeoVac is building a huge library of nanoparticles here…
NeoVac’s CEO, Dr. Eran Eilat, said: ““Benefitting from its close proximity to Oxford, Milton Park gives us a platform to collaborate with leading life science companies and gain access to world-class talent and universities.”
Vertex Pharmaceuticals is a global biotechnology company investing in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious and life-threatening diseases.
This summer, Vertex welcomed 15 local students to its Learning Lab at Milton Park, offering them the opportunity to work on active projects alongside experienced professionals. Since opening its purpose-built Learning Lab in 2021, the company has hosted over 60 paid interns, providing valuable hands-on experience for underrepresented categories of students.
David Price, Vice President and Oxford Research Site Head at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, said: “As a highly regarded and central pillar in Europe’s life sciences innovation community, Milton Park has facilitated an integral part of Vertex’s global R&D programme over the years.
A cluster of innovators
In close proximity to world-class academia, research and innovation hubs, Milton Park’s strategic location in Science Vale UK has created a hotspot for science, technology and innovation, unlocking powerful partnerships and a highly qualified pool of talent.
A vision for the future
Looking to the future, our 2040 Vision sets out Milton Park’s ambition to continue to support innovation, contributing to the knowledge economy and surrounding communities.
Philip Campbell, Commercial Director at Milton Park, commented: “The cutting-edge innovation taking place day in, day out at Milton Park is enabled by our ongoing commitment to supporting and investing in our community.
“Looking ahead, the increased amenities at Signal Yard will encourage even more collaboration, whilst our new R&D development, Nebula, is attracting new talent. We’re excited to see how our occupiers grow in the years to come”.
