Oxford: Flurry of lettings at science park’s innovation centre

Five companies have expanded and a new organisation has joined The Oxford Science Park’s Magdalen Centre, the innovation building located at the centre of the Park, and divided into office and laboratory suites of flexible sizes and lease terms.

Since the start of 2016, the science and technology expansions and new lettings have totalled an additional 21 people across 2,550 sq ft.  The companies that have expanded are: Blue Earth Diagnostics, a privately-held diagnostics company focused on the development and commercialisation of molecular imaging technologies; Corriculo, a specialist and comprehensive IT recruitment services company; devolo UK, the leading German powerline manufacturer which has expanded into the smart home market with the launch of Home Control which can adjust light settings, monitor temperatures and provide automated security alerts; OrganOx, which has developed a groundbreaking technology to help with the transplantation of organs; and OxSonics that is developing novel approaches to the treatment of cancer and chronic low back pain.

Precision Medicine Catapult, an organisation established to make the UK the best place in the world for developing and implementing precision medicine, has joined the Park.

Rory Maw, bursar, Magdalen College, said: “We warmly welcome Precision Medicine Catapult and wish them many years of success, and also offer our congratulations to Blue Earth, Corriculo, Devolo, OrganOx and OxSonics which are clearly thriving.  

“Twenty five years ago we built the Magdalen Centre, our very first building on the Park. Today it is established as Oxford’s leading creative innovation centre, where companies have the opportunity to grow and develop in an inspiring space, and be part of a community where the ideas and businesses of the future begin.  We are committed to supporting discovery and entrepreneurship and attract businesses of all sizes from start-ups to multinationals to locate to the Park where they flourish.”

Graham Bruce, director, Corriculo which has just expanded his space, said: “We started trading in November 2013, with just two of us in an office in the Hub – a collection of micro-offices in the Magdalen Centre.  We have since moved offices three times, taking a larger space each time, as demand for our services has increased, resulting in growth in staff numbers to our current total of 10.

“The Magdalen Centre has been ideal for us as a start-up: the amount of available shared space, such as the Magdalen Café, has meant that we haven’t needed to take an office with meeting rooms, which at this stage in our growth, would be expensive, largely unused space.

“The Park has proved an excellent location, being easily accessible from the ring road and A4074, making it easy for candidates and clients to visit us and vice versa.  This location, coupled with plenty of parking and good facilities – both onsite and nearby – has also certainly helped us in staff attraction and retention.

“The Park is home to some very prestigious companies, which have become clients of ours, with both sides benefiting from the proximity.  These clients have helped our growth and I am not confident we would have had the opportunity to work with them if we were based elsewhere.”

The Magdalen Centre totals 65,000 sq ft of net lettable office and lab space and is currently 91% let with 6,300 sq ft remaining.