Oxford+

What changes when an innovation ecosystem stops talking about problems and starts talking about solutions?In this wrap of Season Four, Oxford+ host Susannah de Jager reflects on a clear shift in rhetoric across the series, from missing pieces of the puzzle to a real sense of momentum in Oxford and the wider UK. She points to initiatives like Equinox, Equitable Innovation Oxford, and the inaugural Oxford Tech Week as signs of an ecosystem finally galvanising itself and becoming easier to engage with.The timing fits a buoyant national picture: UK startup funding reached $7.8 billion in the first quarter of 2026, up 60 per cent year on year, the strongest start to a year since 2022, according to HSBC Innovation Banking and Dealroom. Susannah also looks ahead, previewing a summer Ethics and Innovation miniseries on how AI should be shaped for societies, children and workforces, and a Season Five from September featuring names including Gordon Sanghera and Hermann Hauser.Susannah de Jager: Susannah is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in UK asset management. She has worked closely with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and government officials to shape the conversation around domestic scale-up capital.Connect with Susannah on LinkedIn and Subscribe to the Oxford+ Newsletter for Exclusive ContentOxford+ is hosted by Susannah de Jager and supported by Mishcon de Reya, HSBC Innovation Banking, and James Cowper Kreston.Produced and Edited by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford.

How do you sell to a customer where the decision-maker is actually five different people, and half of them might move roles before the contract lands?In this episode of Oxford+, host Susannah de Jager speaks with Dr Alison Hawks, co-founder and CEO of BMNT Ltd, about why defence innovation is becoming a structural opportunity, and why procurement literacy is often more important than the technology itself. They unpack the realities of B2G: long buying cycles, complex stakeholder incentives, and the traps that stall companies after a promising pilot.The conversation lands at a timely moment. The UK’s Strategic Defence Review commits to an ‘always on’ munitions pipeline, including building at least six new energetics and munitions factories, signalling how seriously government is now treating sovereign capability and industrial resilience. From Commercial X and changing acquisition culture to data sovereignty, Oxford’s role in defence innovation, and what investors should look for in founders, this episode offers a practical map for navigating a market that rewards patience, clarity, and credible pathways to adoption.(00:00) - Welcome to Oxford+ (00:37) - Defence Innovation as a Structural Opportunity (03:53) - Where UK Defence Tech Is Moving: AI, Autonomy, Manufacturing (06:01) - Why Defence Is Not a Commercial Customer (08:35) - Speaking the Customer’s Language and Understanding the Problem (09:18) - Sole Source, Compliance, and the Post-Pilot Trap (11:10) - Procurement Policy as a Maze, and How to Find the Front Doors (14:44) - The “American No” and Interpreting Signals from Government Buyers (16:28) - Sovereignty: Supply Chain, Data, and Technology Independence (19:29) - What BMNT Actually Does Day to Day for Clients (25:14) - The Section 809 Panel and Changing Acquisition Culture (32:50) - Oxford’s Role in the Next Wave of Defence Innovation Dr Alison Hawks: Dr Alison Hawks is co-founder and CEO of BMNT Ltd, the UK arm of BMNT, where she advises governments and technology companies on accelerating adoption of commercial innovation in defence and national security. She also serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Common Mission Project UK, a charity delivering mission-driven entrepreneurial education programmes in the UK. She was named Woman of the Year for Innovation and Creativity at the Women in Defence Awards (2022) Connect with Alison Hawks on LinkedIn / Visit BMNT LtdSusannah de Jager: Susannah is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in UK asset management. She has worked closely with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and government officials to shape the conversation around domestic scale-up capital.Connect with Susannah on LinkedIn and Subscribe to the Oxford+ Newsletter for Exclusive ContentOxford+ is hosted by Susannah de Jager and supported by Mishcon de Reya, HSBC Innovation Banking, and James Cowper Kreston.Produced and Edited by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford.

How does one of the most significant private investments in UK science and technology history take shape on the ground in Oxford?In this episode of Oxford+, host Susannah de Jager speaks with Lisa Flashner, Chief Operating Officer of the Ellison Institute of Technology, about Larry Ellison's ambitious vision to establish a transformative research campus in Oxford. They explore why Ellison chose Oxford as the home for EIT's first major European campus, the Institute's four main pillars of work: medical sciences, clean energy, sustainable agriculture, and AI and robotics, and the physical plans for a campus that will eventually house up to 7,000 people.Lisa brings a unique perspective, having spent 15 years as COO of the Ellison Medical Institute in Los Angeles before relocating to Oxford. She discusses the cultural differences between US and UK innovation ecosystems, the Institute's "all boats rise" philosophy of collaboration with the University of Oxford and the broader ecosystem, and addresses early suspicions about whether EIT would drain talent from the university. Announced in October 2025, the Ellison Institute confirmed plans to spend more than £10 billion on talent and science programmes over the next decade. A major vote of confidence as the UK seeks to strengthen its position in global science and technology. From the Cowley Branch Line to the restoration of the Eagle and Child pub, this conversation offers a comprehensive look at how ambitious private investment can accelerate Oxford's transition from world-class discovery science to real-world impact.(00:00) - Welcome to Oxford+ (00:21) - The Ellison Institute's Mission and Larry Ellison's Vision (02:40) - Four Pillars: Medical Sciences, Energy, Agriculture, AI (04:54) - From Los Angeles to Oxford (09:31) - Opening Up (13:07) - Partnering with the University and OSE (16:14) - Ellison Scholars: Bringing Global Talent to Oxford (20:56) - The Academic Partnership: How Ellison Works with Researchers (22:28) - US versus UK Innovation Culture (24:56) - Trump's Impact: An Opportunity for UK Science (26:48) - Building the Oxford Ecosystem (29:13) - The Ellison Institute's Long-Term Impact (29:51) - Generative Biology (32:18) - The Eagle and Child Lisa Flashner: Lisa Flashner is the Chief Operating Officer of the Ellison Institute of Technology, where she leads strategic planning, operations, real estate, construction, and expansion efforts for the Oxford campus. Before relocating to Oxford, Lisa spent 15 years as the Chief Operating Officer of the Ellison Medical Institute in Los Angeles, where she led complex operations, large-scale programme execution, and strategic partnerships across science and health. She continues to support the Ellison Medical Institute as a senior adviser and serves as a board member of the Ellison Institute Research Foundation. Lisa holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Illinois, a magna cum laude law degree from Georgetown University Law Center, and is a Certified Public Accountant. Her role at EIT places her at the centre of one of the most significant private investments in UK science and technology, overseeing the development of a campus that will ultimately accommodate up to 7,000 employees and house cutting-edge research in medical sciences, clean energy, sustainable agriculture, and AI and robotics.Connect with Lisa Flashner on LinkedIn / Ellison Institute of TechnologySusannah de Jager: Susannah is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in UK asset management. She has worked closely with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and government officials to shape the conversation around domestic scale-up capital.Connect with Susannah on LinkedIn and Subscribe to the Oxford+ Newsletter for Exclusive ContentOxford+ is hosted by Susannah de Jager and supported by Mishcon de Reya, HSBC Innovation Banking, and James Cowper Kreston.Produced and Edited by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford.

Why do the critical conversations about founding and funding a business often happen behind closed doors, making the ecosystem feel impenetrable? In this special episode, Oxford+ host Susannah de Jager reveals the origin story and core premise of the podcast. Drawing on her extensive background as a former COO and CEO of a European equities hedge fund, and her later work in pension capital reform, Susannah shares what inspired her to move from listed asset management to focusing on nascent companies. She discusses how being exposed to companies in their critical growth phase—when they need long-term capital from investors like pension plans—revealed a passionate purpose: to make a meaningful impact by connecting capital with brilliant academics.Susannah de Jager: Susannah is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in UK asset management. She has worked closely with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and government officials to shape the conversation around domestic scale-up capital.Connect with Susannah on LinkedIn / Subscribe to the Oxford+ Newsletter for exclusive contentOxford+ is hosted by Susannah de Jager and supported by Mishcon de Reya and Oxford North.Produced and edited by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford.

How do you design a physical space that matches the lightning-fast pace of modern scientific discovery? This episode explores the new paradigm for innovation districts with Professor Dame Kay Davies and Victoria Collett of Thomas White Oxford, the development company of St. John's College. The conversation covers the critical transition from academic lab work, where Professor Davies has spent 30 years researching Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, to the intense, milestone-driven world of biotech spin-outs. Victoria Collett, Development Director for the £1.2 billion Oxford North project, explains how its mixed-use, master-planned environment—complete with flexible lab spaces, public art, and community areas—is specifically engineered to foster the "serendipitous moments" crucial for breakthroughs. Kay and Victoria also discuss the vital importance of connectivity, noting that the UK’s life sciences VC investment has been selective recently, making integrated innovation clusters like Oxford North, which is positioned on the East West Rail corridor, essential for capturing future talent and growth. (00:00) - Welcome to Oxford+ (01:10) - Kay Davies' Journey in Medical Research (02:10) - Challenges and Innovations in Drug Development (03:11) - The Role of Oxford North in Scientific Advancements (06:39) - Victoria Collett on Developing Oxford North (08:06) - Designing Spaces for Innovation and Collaboration (11:54) - Integrating Science, Art, and Community (18:19) - The Importance of Connectivity and Accessibility (25:49) - Long-Term Vision and Investment in Oxford North (29:33) - Historical Significance and Future Aspirations Professor Dame Kay Davies: An acclaimed academic and innovator, she is Emeritus Dr Lee’s Professor of Anatomy at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Hertford College. Her research group has an international reputation for work on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, an effort that has driven her journey from the academic lab to founding biotech spin-out companies to deliver effective treatments to patients. Her insights provide a critical 'user perspective' on the needs of a pioneering science ecosystem. Connect with Kay on LinkedInVictoria Collett: Development Director at Thomas White Oxford, the development company of St. John’s College, where she led the creation of Oxford North. A chartered surveyor with over 20 years of experience in development and regeneration, Victoria specialises in large-scale mixed-use masterplans, bringing a unique perspective on community, placemaking, and commercial flexibility to the £1.2 billion global innovation district.Connect with Victoria on LinkedInSusannah de Jager: Susannah is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in UK asset management. She has worked closely with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and government officials to shape the conversation around domestic scale-up capital.Connect with Susannah on LinkedIn / Subscribe to the Oxford+ Newsletter for exclusive contentOxford+ is hosted by Susannah de Jager and supported by Mishcon de Reya and Oxford North.Produced and edited by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford.