With an impressive set of features to offer people as well as businesses, Oxford is full of culture and history - it's certainly a city built on substance. It's famous for its world-leading university, and all the prestige and expertise that comes with it. A popular location for public service companies, Oxford has plenty to offer.
Why choose the city center?
Oxford city center features the majority of the city's attractions, so if being close to the heart of the action is beneficial for your business, the center is a great place to start looking. The prestigious Oxford University is based here, as well as the city's museums and the castle - it's a good location if local culture is a driver behind your business.
The bioscience and publishing industries are prominent in the center, with a considerable proportion of companies having university connections. Businesses such as Oxford University Press, Wiley, Elsevier, Pearson Education and Taylor & Francis can be found here.
Possibilities to grow your business network
On appearance, the city center doesn't necessarily benefit from a business nucleus - you'll find more office space mixed in with retailers and the various Oxford Colleges, as opposed to a distinct corporate area. This kind of set-up can provide access to excellent amenities, as well as encourage a broad network to develop thanks to having a mix of industries as neighbors. Key occupiers in this area include Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council.
Towards the periphery of the center, the environment tends to become more geared for corporate office space, with locations such as the Minns Industrial Estate providing 100,000 sq ft of space to the likes of Savills, Barclays and RBS.
Transport Links
As well as being a hub for culture, history and education, Oxford is well-connected.
From here, you can travel to London Paddington or Birmingham New Street in just an hour, as well as having the M40 London-Birmingham just to the east. From London, Oxford is also accessible by bus, 24 hours a day.
Amenities
For out-of-work socializing, there are plenty of eating and drinking options in the center, and if you're looking for a little more green space, the university's parks and Christ Church Meadows are nearby.
Which business sectors does this area attract?
Towards the southeast of the city, you'll find the majority of Oxford's business parks, which are becoming an increasingly popular business destination. Oxford is considered world-leading in scientific research, and so is a popular location for related companies. Here you'll find businesses such as Oxford Instruments and Penlon.
The science parks in this area provide excellent facilities for this industry and are often accompanied by space that's set up to facilitate research and development.
Which companies are located in this area?
To the north of the city, Langford Science Park continues Oxford's contribution to the bioscience and research industries, as home to companies such as KCI Medical and AbD Serotec.
Oxford's business parks feature several businesses in the production industry, as well as large multinationals such as Centrica. A lot of the businesses that establish a base here often do so to make the most of the large number of graduates the city produces.
One of the city's largest parks, Goodman's Oxford Business Park, features not only excellent facilities but is home to some of Oxford's biggest service employers. Here, you'll find solicitors such as Manches and Wiley, as well as Henmans LLP, Oxfam, HM Revenue and Customs, and a large BMW manufacturing plant towards the outskirts.
Transport Links
Oxford's business parks are easily accessible by car, bus or train, as well as having quick and easy links to London via train. Businesses here can also benefit from the nearby Oxford Parkway station and London Oxford Airport.
Amenities
Amenities for businesses located in the parks tend to include on-site cafés and restaurants, with a wider choice of social spots found in the nearby city center.
What does this area have to offer?
Looking further afield, Abingdon and Didcot make a key area for bioscience in Oxford. The main business park in this location is Milton Park, which as well as offering 250 acres of space, is set to benefit from upcoming developments in Science Vale.
Business Parks
Science Vale is a popular location. It's been given Enterprise Zone status and is part of Oxford's thriving bioscience, research and development scene. It's a key area for those looking for an innovative, forward-thinking location.
Milton Park is also home to around 200 businesses that occupy the site's offices, R&D areas and warehouse space.
Bioscience company Adaptimmune occupies 67,000 sq ft of space here, including a laboratory area too.
To the west of Didcot lies Harwell International Business Centre. This is a key area for those in the research and development industry, as it's home to the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. This development offers enviable lab space, providing 53,000 sq ft of research and development space among its total space of 200,000 sq ft.
Oxford's business parks are not just for the bioscience industry, however. The south of the city sees Abington Business Park, home to companies such as EBI Foods and ITV Thames Valley. While the area doesn't feature as high a spec as some of Oxford's other business parks, it is a mixed-use area featuring a variety of industries.
Abingdon also features a science park, that's home to Sophos, Berkeley Homes and Penlon.
Transport Links
This area of Oxford is easily accessible by car and benefits from good public transport link too. Occupiers here can also utilize a shuttle bus service that operates between Didcot station and Milton Park.
Amenities
Each business park features its own amenities, including cafes and restaurants. Milton Park also benefits from its own gym, cycle hire and food shop, making it a desirable location for staff as well as businesses.
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