Celebrating Innovation in Oxfordshire: 2024 Highlights
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Oxfordshire has long been a hub of innovation, and 2024 has been a landmark year for the region's research and development landscape. The county is home to nearly 3,000 high-tech businesses employing 29,000 people, with 1,500 companies engaged in STEM-based innovation.
Over the past five years, Oxfordshire organisations have filed more than 5,700 patent applications, demonstrating the region’s strong reputation in cutting-edge research.
From pioneering developments in fusion energy to advances in health and technology, local companies are making significant contributions that resonate far beyond the county’s borders. Nestled in Eynsham, Advent Research Materials is proud to be part of this vibrant ecosystem and is privileged to support many customers driving advancements across sectors such as health, technology, and automotive.
As we look to wrap up the year, I’ve been reflecting on some of the amazing projects and progress taking place on our doorstep, highlighting Oxfordshire’s role as a leader in research and development. Here are my top five highlights from 2024:
1. Fusion Energy: Tokamak Energy’s Advances
Milton Park-based Tokamak Energy has continued to lead the way in developing sustainable fusion energy.
The only private company with more than 10 years’ experience designing, building and operating tokamaks, Tokamak Energy, announced this month that it's raised $125 million to accelerate its plans to commercialise fusion energy and grow its transformative high temperature superconducting (HTS) technology solution, TE Magnetics.
It brings the total raised since forming as a spin-out from UK Atomic Energy Authority in 2009 to $335m, comprising $275m from private investors and $60m funded from the UK and U.S. governments.
The funding will go towards accelerate the growth of its TE Magnetics division, meeting the rising demand from the fusion energy market while exploring new applications in industries such as mobility, renewable energy, and security. The investment will also advance the company’s fusion pilot plant design programme and support the development and testing of innovative fusion technologies.
Using its record-breaking ST40 spherical tokamak, Tokamak Energy is conducting cutting-edge experiments near Oxford, driving the progress needed to make fusion a reality and provide clean, limitless energy on a global scale.
2. Revolutionalised immunotherapy from MarchBio spin out
MatchBio, founded in January 2024 by Professors Omer Dushek and Anton van der Merwe from Oxford’s Dunn School of Pathology, is advancing immunotherapy by enhancing CAR T cell therapy, a groundbreaking cancer treatment.
CAR T therapy works by genetically modifying T cells to recognise and target specific cancer antigens, yet many patients relapse due to cancer cells’ ability to reduce antigen expression, a process known as 'antigen escape.'
MatchBio addresses this challenge by developing CAR-T cells with enhanced sensitivity and specificity, aiming to detect and destroy low-antigen cancer cells, reduce relapses, and expand treatment options.
With £4.5 million in investment from Oxford Science Enterprises and a foundation of research supported by the Wellcome Trust and Medical Research Council, MatchBio is poised to transform immunotherapy and offer hope to patients facing cancer and other complex health conditions.
3. DNA sequencing and data analysis by Oxford Nanopore
Oxford Nanopore is a global leader in DNA sequencing technology. The company developed the world’s first and only nanopore DNA and RNA sequencing platform. It’s a new generation of sequencing technology — the only one to offer scalability to portable or ultra-high throughput formats, real-time data delivery and the ability to elucidate rich biological data.
This year they announced a landmark partnership with the UK Government, collaborating with Genomics England, UK Biobank, and NHS England to advance genomics-driven healthcare innovation.
This initiative focuses on enhancing genomic and epigenomic research to improve patient outcomes in cancer, rare genetic diseases, and infectious diseases.
As part of the partnership, Oxford Nanopore’s sequencing technology will enable the NHS to transition to real-time, pathogen-agnostic biosurveillance across 30 hospitals, creating an early warning system for future pandemics.
These advancements promise not only to transform patient care but also to position the UK as a global leader in life sciences innovation.
Discover their incredible work here
4. From Track to Tech: New Innovation from Williams Grand Prix Technologies
Based at the William's team Grove technology campus, 2024 saw the launch of Williams Grand Prix Technologies, a new venture from the iconic motorsport team.
Drawing on nearly 50 years of Formula 1 expertise, the company is bringing F1-derived innovation to industries such as aerospace, defence, marine, energy, and premium automotive.
With tools like advanced simulation, high-performance computing, and prototype testing originally developed for the racetrack, Williams Grand Prix Technologies offers cutting-edge solutions to complex engineering challenges.
This new chapter builds on the Williams legacy, combining their heritage of racing success with a mission to solve problems for businesses worldwide.
5. Revolutionising Solar Energy with Perovskite Innovation at Oxford University
Earlier this year, scientists at Oxford University’s Department of Physics, achieved a breakthrough in solar technology that could transform how solar energy is generated.
Using an ultra-thin, flexible perovskite material, the team developed a way to coat everyday objects like cars, buildings, and even mobile phones, enabling them to generate solar power.
Their innovative multi-junction approach stacks light-absorbing layers, capturing a broader range of the light spectrum and achieving over 27% energy efficiency—matching traditional silicon-based solar panels for the first time.
This new material, just over one micron thick, is nearly 150 times thinner than a silicon wafer and far more versatile, offering the potential to reduce reliance on large-scale solar farms.
Led by Professor Henry Snaith, the research team’s advancements have already begun feeding into commercial applications, with the UK-based company Oxford PV manufacturing these perovskite materials for global distribution. These innovations position Oxford as a leader in sustainable solar energy solutions, paving the way for a greener future.
It’s incredible to see such groundbreaking progress happening across so many industries right here in Oxfordshire.
From pioneering advances in fusion energy and immunotherapy to cutting-edge DNA sequencing, F1-inspired engineering, and revolutionary solar technology, the innovation coming out of our region is truly inspiring. Being based in Eynsham, at the heart of this thriving ecosystem, feels like such a privilege.
Oxfordshire continues to prove itself as a global hub for research and development, and I’m excited to see what the future holds for this amazing community.