Open University to lead up to £20 million innovation boost across central area of Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor

The Open University will lead in driving a new wave of innovation across the central area of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor, including Milton Keynes, Bedford and neighbouring high‑growth districts, backed by up to £20 million of UK Government funding. The investment, confirmed today (2 April) by Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall, comes from the government’s £500 million Local Innovation Partnerships Fund and will enable the University and its partners to turn cutting‑edge ideas into real‑world impact.

Working with partners across this central stretch of the Corridor, The Open University will deliver programs that strengthen capabilities in autonomous systems, high‑performance engineering and dual use space and defence technologies. This includes improving digital connectivity, linking testbeds across Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Northants, The programme will build on the thousands of high‑skilled jobs already supported by the motorsport, engineering and space sectors, building pipelines for further growth, and reinforcing this part of the Corridor as a key hub for applied innovation within the wider Oxford–Cambridge area.

Announcing the funding, Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: “In the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor, the funding will strengthen world leading engineering and space technology, helping turn scientific excellence into jobs and economic growth. By working with local leaders, researchers, and businesses, we can unleash transformational research and products that improve lives.”

The Open University’s leadership across Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Northants, will ensure the investment accelerates research and development while expanding opportunities for people and businesses. With world‑class expertise in space science, engineering and skills development, and a long history of translating research into practical solutions, the University is well placed to guide the programme from concept to delivery. All partners across the region will now work with UKRI to shape the projects that will receive support, focusing on collaborative R&D, talent development, integrated testbeds and clear routes to investment and new markets.

Professor David Phoenix, Vice-Chancellor of The Open University, said:

“The Open University is proud to lead a partnership that brings academia, industry and local government together to accelerate commercial readiness, and unlock an estimated £4.5bn in annual GVA by 2035 via the central spine of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor. Our geography is already rich in talent, creativity and technical excellence and is an area where research is scaled and translated into engineered reality. This Innovation Circuit positions the region as the nation’s ‘engine room’ for applied innovation, where breakthroughs move rapidly from lab to street, and from street to scale, driving UK competitiveness and global market leadership.”

Professor Sir Ian Chapman, Chief Executive of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), highlighted the region’s long‑standing strengths and the importance of the new partnership.

“The Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor has long been home to world class ingenuity and a proud tradition of delivering real impact from great ideas. UKRI is delighted to work with the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor Local Innovation Partnership as they accelerate bold plans to build on that legacy and drive the region’s next wave of innovation led growth. By bringing together the region’s researchers, entrepreneurs and civic leaders, we are strengthening the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor’s distinctive capabilities and championing its ambition on the national stage.”

This programme builds on the success of the UK’s Innovation Accelerators, which have already attracted around £240 million in private investment and created hundreds of jobs across the country. The Open University’s leadership within the central area of the Corridor ensures the region is well placed to deliver the next generation of breakthroughs that will benefit the wider Corridor and the UK.