Oxfordshire has unveiled a ten-year economic strategy aiming to establish 20 billion-dollar technology companies, secure over £1 billion in annual funding, and generate 30,000 regional jobs by 2035.
The Equinox 2035 Strategy, launched at the House of Commons, sets out measures to expand Oxfordshire’s technology and life sciences sector by building connections with 10 US venture capital funds, 10 UK pension funds, and six global corporate operations.
The initiative is delivered by Equinox, a regional consortium of commercial businesses, academic institutions, and public authorities, with the University of Oxford providing secretariat support. The strategy focuses on establishing a dedicated Inward Investment Unit to serve as a central operational hub for international venture capital, corporate investors, and commercial developers.
Regional figures indicate Oxford spinouts secured €908 million in equity funding during the first six months of 2026, accounting for roughly 20 per cent of total European university spinout investment. Oxfordshire currently hosts approximately 3,000 technology businesses employing 30,000 workers across sites including the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus and Culham Science Centre.
Ed Bussey, chief executive of Oxford Science Enterprises, said: “Twenty unicorns by 2035 is absolutely achievable, and it’s right that Equinox is setting itself such a bold and ambitious target. For its part, OSE is now building one new potential billion-pound company every single month; we’ve seen three unicorn outcomes in the last 12 months. The challenge is making sure that companies with genuine global potential can access the capital they need not just to start, but to scale, and that they can do that from here rather than having to look elsewhere as they grow.”
Anneliese Dodds, MP for Oxford East, added: “Thirty thousand new jobs would represent a huge opportunity for Oxfordshire, but only if people across our communities can see a route into them. That means investing in skills and apprenticeships, creating good jobs and making sure that young people growing up here can see a future for themselves in Oxfordshire’s innovation economy.”
Image source: Anneliese Dodds
