Bicester Motion: Evolving Oxfordshire as the UK’s Innovation Hub

Oxfordshire is fast becoming the go-to setting for high-tech manufacturing, science, and innovation eco-systems for the UK and beyond. In the next evolution for Oxfordshire as a technology hub of the UK, Bicester Motion has revealed its £140m masterplan in full to become a centre of excellence for the past, present and future of mobility within a 444-acre destination development.

Not only will it allow mobility equipment manufacturers to offer an experience to their audiences, as well as promote its community, but also debug the myths around innovative and sustainable transport solutions.

Divided into four quarters – Heritage, Wilderness, Innovation and Experience, with a grass airfield at its centre –Bicester Motion has already evolved with impressive speed.

Factors such as proximity to major transport links and international airports, in addition to sitting at the heart of the Oxford-Cambridge Arc, mean that the brightest minds in science and innovation are looking to call Oxfordshire home.

Sites such as Harwell Campus, home to the Zeus building, celebrate research and development, just south of Oxford, with Bicester also attracting innovative EV sector businesses such as Arrival and Zeta. Businesses located near to Bicester, such as Vertical Aerospace, report pre-orders for 1,350 piloted eVTOL aircraft ($5bn) including 500 ($2bn) from one of the top three leasing companies and a pre-order option from Virgin Atlantic.

Unlike other sites in the surrounding area, Bicester Motion is already home to an established Heritage Quarter, serving 47 specialist businesses, including Morgan, Singer Vehicle Design and Motorsport UK.

For more information about Bicester Motion, please visit www.bicestermotion.com

Its community ethos is unique to the site as a whole, with test track access currently on offer and a 200-key hotel, conference centre and cycling and walking trails all scheduled for delivery within the next few years.

The next Quarter for delivery, the Innovation Quarter comes at a point when the mobility industry is set for huge acceleration, with an estimated £3.7bn investment per year into automotive and mobility solutions, and a predicted £62bn in economic growth from connected and autonomous vehicles by 2030.

Set across six buildings, the Innovation Quarter will provide a small-scale campus opportunity within an already established site. For pioneering businesses looking to draw inspiration for new technology and mobility solutions, this Quarter benefits from the synergies offered by a campus in the heartland of science and motoring.

Slough-based HomeLink Healthcare Limited has secured a £2.15 million investment from infrastructure and SME investment manager Foresight Group LLP.

Existing shareholders also invested £500,000 to further support HomeLink’s growth.

Formed in 2015, HomeLink has provided “hospital-at-home” services since 2018. The company employs experienced nurses and rehabilitation teams to support the NHS by providing services to patients in their own homes. These services deliver a range of clinical interventions, including wound care, intravenous therapies, physiotherapy, and rehabilitation. HomeLink has also expanded into the rapidly growing remote monitoring practice and offers a “virtual ward” solution.

Bed-blocking is an major issue across the NHS with significant delays in the discharge of patients and increasing hospital admissions due to a lack of viable alternatives. This is exacerbated by demographic shifts and the pandemic. HomeLink helps relieve these pressures by freeing up hospital bed space.