Businesses, partners and parliamentarians came together alongside Oxfordshire County Council and Advanced Oxford to celebrate the county’s life sciences sector at a high profile event in Parliament earlier this month (18 May).

The event, hosted by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford, showcased the work of Oxfordshire organisations to improve lives, strengthen the economy and reinforce the UK’s position as a global leader in life sciences.

It also gave businesses a platform to engage directly with national policymakers on the opportunities for growth and the challenges facing the sector, including skills and investment.

Councillor Neil Fawcett, Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “Oxfordshire is one of the UK’s leading centres for life sciences innovation, with world class research being translated into real improvements in people’s lives.

“This showcase highlighted both the scale of opportunity in our county and the importance of continuing to invest in skills, infrastructure and partnerships to support future growth.

“By bringing businesses and policymakers together in Parliament, we are helping to ensure Oxfordshire continues to play a vital role in driving innovation and better outcomes for communities across the UK.”

Speakers from Immunocore, Perspectum and Pictura Bio spoke about their innovative approaches to healthcare and the unique growth potential of Oxfordshire’s innovation economy. They also highlighted challenges facing the sector, including attracting and retaining talent and the need for investment and capital.

Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford, who hosted the event, said: “It was a pleasure to host the Oxfordshire Life Sciences Innovation Showcase and to welcome a range of dynamic and ambitious life sciences organisations to Parliament.

“What distinguishes Oxfordshire is not just the excellence of its science, but also the consistency with which that science is translated into companies, products, and into patient and social benefit. And this innovation is taking place right across Oxfordshire within a deeply connected ecosystem where research, infrastructure, and enterprise all reinforce one another. This county-wide connection is what makes Oxfordshire such a great place to invest in.

“Oxfordshire innovation has had a global impact, from the roll out of the R-21 malaria vaccine across Africa, to advances in cell and gene therapies and digital health. In addition, growth in Oxfordshire contributes directly to growth in the UK, with investment collaboration flowing into other regions and supporting a more connected national innovation economy.

“Events like these matter because they showcase that innovation in action, and this showcase was about connection – discovery connecting with delivery, innovation connecting with investment, regional strength connecting with national ambition.”

Sarah Haywood, Managing Director of Advanced Oxford, said: “It is important for the region to communicate its strengths and the role in plays within the UK and global innovation economy.

“When we hear about the amazing work that our companies are undertaking, as highlighted by our speakers and the other companies in the room, we see the difference they are making. This includes new treatments for cancer and the delivery of a Community Diagnostics Centre by Perspectum, which redesigning diagnostic pathways for patients in Oxfordshire, while increasing capacity and reducing waiting times for diagnosis.”

“Despite the exciting work in our life sciences sector, we know there are challenges and barriers to growth that we must address. Our series of parliamentary receptions has given us an opportunity to take these issues directly to Westminster.

“We will only see the growth of these companies if we also address the skills challenges we are facing. We need to strike a balance between growing skills locally and creating a welcoming environment that attracts and retains talent from around the world.”

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People who use social care, along with the staff who support them, are benefiting from innovative sensor-based technology being used across the Thames Valley to help prevent falls in care homes.

Oxfordshire County Council, Buckinghamshire Council and NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICB are taking a leading role in improving falls prevention in care homes through advanced sensor-based technology.

The innovative technology, supported by NHS England’s Digitising Social Care Fund, has trialled passive sensors in five care homes in the counties, covering 215 residents.

These sensors provide round-the-clock, touch-free monitoring without cameras or wearable devices, protecting privacy while offering real-time alerts and data to help prevent falls and reduce hospital admissions.

Remote monitoring and sensor-based falls technology deliver wide-ranging benefits to people who use social care and the staff who provide it. These benefits include reduced hospital admissions, quicker discharge and shorter stays in hospital.

Deirdre Wallace, Health and Care Innovation Team Leader at Oxfordshire County Council, said: “This is more than just technology - it’s a cultural shift in how we deliver care.

“By combining remote monitoring with a people-first approach, we’re empowering care homes to move from reactive to proactive care, improving outcomes and independence for residents.”

Early feedback from care providers has been overwhelmingly positive, with benefits including better night-time monitoring, quicker response to incidents, and improved support for both residents and staff.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care at Oxfordshire County Council, said: “Oxfordshire is proud to be at the forefront of innovation in adult care.

“This project shows our commitment to using smart solutions to tackle real challenges - reducing falls, improving safety, and supporting our dedicated care workforce.”

This initiative marks a major step towards a more preventative and data-driven model of care, aligning with Oxfordshire’s wider strategy to help people age well and live independently for longer.

Henry Wright, Head of Digital Transformation at NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICB, said: “Our priority is to improve health and care for local people and patients. Working with our partners, we have been able to secure funding for innovative technology which supports the wellbeing of our older communities.”

Isobel Darby, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing said: “Buckinghamshire Council is proud to be working collaboratively with the Integrated Care Board and Oxfordshire County Council in this joint initiative which promises to deliver real benefits to residents in care homes.

“By embracing innovative technology like this, we are helping to take a proactive approach to falls prevention and demonstrating our commitment to supporting people to live better, longer, independent lives.”

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Following a £2.54 million investment from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Oxfordshire County Council’s award winning innovation service has developed the initiative, which includes the creation of a portal for care providers. The portal offers support around complex areas such as immigration and compliance.

The service has worked with care providers to better understand the challenges faced in overseas recruitment. The county council has now announced it will partner with Borderless, a technology company founded in 2022, to deliver and further develop the migration platform.

Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, said: “Oxfordshire County Council’s innovation service has a proven track record of delivering innovative solutions for the local care sector, working with providers to understand the real challenges they face.

“Overseas care workers are increasingly providing a vital service for many thousands of vulnerable people in the south-east. Our residents who they serve, the providers they work for and the adult social care departments that often fund their work have immense respect and gratitude for the incredible work they do.      

“But the amount of red tape involved in overseas recruitment is challenging. By offering greater support to help providers understand complex immigration rules, this new platform aims to make everything fast, low risk and low cost, enabling businesses to take back control and focus time on their core activities.

"We are determined to make this a great tool but also urge the government to think carefully about the impact on this fragile system of changing rules on International Certificates of Sponsorship; and the new requirements to demonstrate the volume of work and genuineness of vacancies, which is tying the hands of our providers to recruit responsibly.

"We would also welcome better checks and oversight of companies that might be using the system to exploit vulnerable overseas workers. Only by working with a unified sense of purpose will we be able to ensure the whole system is fit for purpose and delivers the best care for those that need it most.”

With the adult social care sector facing growing challenges around the complexity of international recruitment, the DHSC made £15m (£2.54m for the south-east) available over 2023 to 2024 to help support international recruitment within the adult social care sector in England.

The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services in the south-east region secured funding from this pot and partnered with Oxfordshire County Council’s innovation service to design and create a portal, accessible to all care providers aimed at addressing the key priorities identified by them across the region. These included barriers around Home Office compliance, high upfront costs and long recruitment timelines. The council is now working with Borderless to further develop the platform.

Matthew Bond, CEO & Co-Founder at Borderless, said: “Borderless is delighted to be partnering with Oxfordshire County Council to deliver this ground breaking initiative. At Borderless – we believe in a world where borders are no longer barriers – anyone, anywhere should be able to move and work, seamlessly and safely, and that’s exactly the foresight we saw in the council’s tender.

“Hiring migrant workers doesn’t have to involve expensive intermediaries. It doesn’t have to mean bewildering Home Office bureaucracy. And it doesn’t have to take months on end.

“We look forward to jointly creating a platform that connects ambitious care workers across the globe with UK care providers, using technology to manage and streamline the entire sponsorship process.”

The recruitment platform is already backed by leading care organisations and associations and is fully compliant with regulatory bodies. Borderless is now working with more than 130 care providers across the UK – offering support with sponsor licence applications, as well as advice on immigration and compliance processes. 

The benefits for care professionals are also significant. Migrant workers can often face significant risks, from being charged extortionate fees to exploitative labour practices, which have resulted in a growing modern slavery crisis.

By providing safe and ethical pathways to the UK’s care industry, Borderless ensures workers are only employed by genuine businesses and are treated fairly throughout the process.

Oxfordshire County Council and Borderless will be offering a series of free introductory webinars for providers in the south-east that are interested in learning more about the benefits of the platform.

Registration for the webinars on 27 March, 23 April and 7 May can be found on Borderless’ website.

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Ta Da! is located at Oxfordshire County Council’s CSS in Neithrop and comes shortly after Cheers M’Dears bar was opened at the service in the summer.

Jennifer Farrell, Manager of Banbury CSS, said: “The way we deliver social care is changing and we’re always looking for new and innovative ways to improve how we do things for the people we support.

“After the success of Cheers M’Dears pub room, we once again asked the people who use our service how we could do things differently to really support their wellbeing.

“And ‘Ta Da!’ – the beauty room became our next project!”

As with the development of Cheers M’Dears, the reimagined space at Banbury CSS (formerly called the Redlands Centre) has been fitted out with equipment donated from local businesses, as well as funding from the Friends of Redlands charity.

Jennifer continued: “We support many people living with Dementia and having a pamper treatment allows them to be calm, relaxed and enjoy talking about the ‘good old times’.

“Many people we support are not able to go to a traditional beauty salon. Ta Da! will be a place of calmness, fully equipped to give the adults we support the chance to experience the real therapeutic benefits of a beauty treatment.”

Banbury CSS is working with local hair and beauty colleges to connect with students and offer them the chance to use the facilities and offer treatments. Beauticians are also being invited to hire out the space for their own business, bringing money back into the Friends of Redlands charity.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, said: “The team at Banbury CSS has done it again! By listening to the people they support and thinking innovatively, they are bringing new opportunities to people’s lives.

 "It is particularly pleasing to see how the community has come together to get behind this project and how the Friends of Redlands Charity continues to support the wonderful work being done at the centre.”

Anyone wishing to hire out the beauty room can email jennifer.farrell@oxfordshire.gov.uk for further details.

Watch a video about Ta Da! pamper room on our YouTube channel.

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The rising demand for next-generation wireless service is leading to the exploration of opportunities to install smart infrastructure on lamp posts, traffic lights, CCTV columns, benches, bins and bus stops.

That is why six local authorities – including Oxfordshire County Council – will receive funding to trial new multi-purpose street columns which will house equipment to support the rollout of advanced wireless networks like 5G or free public WiFi.

The columns can be adapted to carry out a range of functions – from charging EVs, monitoring air quality and displaying public information to saving energy with street lighting. This builds on Oxfordshire County Council’s existing project to replace existing halogen bulbs with energy-efficient LEDs.

The money is coming from the government’s Smart Infrastructure Pilots Programme (SIPP) and the amount awarded will be matched by supplier contributions and savings from the council’s digital infrastructure fund to create a total investment of £500,000.

Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “I am delighted with our success in this funding competition. It will help us in building and delivering our strategy for improving digital connectivity.

“This includes EV charging access, improving street-level mobile connectivity and creating a network of ‘Internet of Things’ devices measuring aspects such as air quality monitoring.”

The pilot will demonstrate how new connected installations can help local authorities to deliver better services in their communities.

Sir John Whittingdale, Minister for Data and Digital Infrastructure, said: “The way we stay in touch, access information and do business is underpinned by digital connectivity – and a world-class wireless infrastructure will be the foundation for the jobs, skills, and services of the future.

“We want to ensure that towns and cities across the UK are right at the forefront of this connectivity revolution, ready to seize the opportunities it will bring for local communities, which is exactly what these pilots are about.

 “They will help demonstrate how advanced wireless technology can enable areas to innovate and deliver better public services, from rolling out electric vehicle chargers to boosting business growth and helping keep our streets safe.”

The SIPP is designed to support the government’s wireless infrastructure strategy, which sets out how the UK will put wireless connectivity at the heart of new and existing infrastructure, while driving private investment, boosting innovation and unlocking new opportunities for economic growth.

The pilot programmes will begin from October 2023 and will run until 31 March 2025.

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Oxfordshire County Council’s dedicated Innovation Hub (iHUB) has worked with Oxford based tech start-up company ROVR Systems Ltd and staff and residents at two care homes in Oxfordshire, to develop the technology which has seen some participants walking virtual distances of up to 3km per session from the comfort of their armchair.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, said: “Innovation is a key part of how we are transforming the way we deliver adult social care in Oxfordshire. By using modern technology, we can enable people to live well, making their lives richer and more fulfilling. All told it presents a range of exciting new opportunities for Oxfordshire residents to take part in.”

The 17 month trial was funded by a £350,000 Innovate UK grant and involved residents at Fairfield Residential Home in Summertown and Auditcare’s Mon Choisy care home in Kennington, as well as assisted living sites in Cornwall.

VR headsets were connected to specialist seated treadmills allowing the user to move their feet while sitting in a chair. For those with greater mobility, there was an option for a more active exploration by using a safety-enhanced standing treadmill.

An image was then projected onto the screen in the visor, giving the user the chance to explore a variety of areas of the UK and abroad, meeting other users taking a similar virtual journey. Care workers could also join the walk on a digital tablet, giving them the chance to have conversations along the way.

The main objective of the trial was to promote social engagement among people with restricted mobility. It aimed to help those whose physical activity had decreased, leading to deconditioning, reduced mental stimulation and fewer social interactions.

The trial results showed residents walked distances of between 300m and 3km per session and enjoyed seated immersive experiences for up to 40 minutes, where they were normally only registering in the tens to a few hundred steps per day.

Independent observers found residents competed with themselves to walk further than their last effort and were even more competitive when walking with others.  User feedback also showed participants felt a strong sense of achievement when told how far they had explored.

Maddie Gillies works at Fairfield Residential Home and supported residents who took part in the trial. She said: “Watching our residents using the VR for the first time was fantastic. Once they were used to the technology, they really relaxed into it and spent some considerable time walking around their virtual worlds. It was the perfect way to help residents move more freely, meeting other people and sparking conversations about places they had visited in their life.”

Having completed an evaluation of the initial trial, ROVR Systems Ltd now hope to use the technology to help benefit people with limited mobility up and down the country.

Charles King, ROVR Systems Ltd Chief Executive Officer, said: “Our partnership with Oxfordshire County Council has given us the opportunity to trial our virtual reality technology in a real life environment and the results have been beyond our expectations.

“We have seen our VR technologies expand the horizons of people whose worlds have shrunk, providing safe opportunities for social connections, learning and unwitting exercise. These wonderful experiences enhance their lives and further build caring relationships with the fantastic staff.

“We have witnessed glimpses of the real person where advanced dementia otherwise hides these interesting people, and seen new connections and insights for caring staff with people who usually don’t engage in activities.

“Described by one staff member as ‘miraculous’, our VR technologies are magical motivators of social connections and movement, and we continue to work with the county council, social care and the NHS to assist people in living longer, better."

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The assistive technology team at the county council looks at various technology and how it can be used by people with differing or evolving needs, including learning disabilities, sensory impairments, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, MS and more.

Councillor Jenny Hannaby, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, said: “Supporting residents to live independently and in their own homes for as long as it is safe to do so is a top priority for us. The work of our assistive technology team is imperative to this, and significantly enhances the lives, wellbeing and safety of many with additional needs. I’m extremely pleased to hear the team is currently testing new options and look forward to hearing more about the support our residents can receive.”

Michelle House, Practice Supervisor of the Assistive Technology Team, said: “Technology can be very effective in helping people remain safe and independent.  It’s really important that we consider new technologies so that we can offer people choice in how they are supported and get the right technology for the individual.

“For example, someone who is diagnosed with dementia may need some help in remembering appointments – using a smart phone to download an app to help them with this might work for one person, while another might prefer to use a digital calendar with audible reminders.”

Technology currently undergoing trials includes:

• Automatic curtain openers. This can be used using a remote control, smart phone, timer or voice activation, and can by fitted to most types of existing curtains. These are useful for people who are unable to open or close their own curtains, perhaps due to a physical disability. It would provide them with greater control over their home, increased privacy and help them to feel safer.
•  Buddi Connect. This is a wrist sensor linked to a smartphone that can alert others if the wearer has fallen and pressed a button to request help. This would support people who are worried about falling outside and reassure them that help can be called for quickly and their location known.
•  TabTime timer. This is a watch which discreetly reminds the wearer to take medications through a vibrating alarm. It is particularly useful for people who may forget or miss the timings of their medication.

When trialling new technology, the assistive technology team carefully reviews the capabilities of an item, safety, ease of use, costs and what value it might bring to someone.

The team work closely with support partners across Oxfordshire, and others within the county council’s adult social care support team, to ensure eligible residents can gain information about technology might help them. Some assistive technology is available on a trial, loan or permanent basis depending on an individual’s needs, or information will be given on how people can purchase it for themselves.

 To find out more about assistive technology and who is eligible for the support, visit Oxfordshire County Council’s website.

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Oxbike.co.uk currently displays live maps derived from real time data that show the number of cyclists and other road users at cycling hotspots, live travel times on some of Oxford’s key routes, and the current and historic trends of vehicle numbers on Oxfordshire’s streets. The goal in sharing live data is to demonstrate how easy it is to get around the city by cycling. It will also show how quick cycle journeys can be and encourage people to travel by bike or park & pedal. By presenting data on an easy to use website powered by the [ui!] Urban Pulse data service, the council can now share information about cycling patterns across Oxford. New data sources and technology will be included on oxbike.co.uk when developed to allow residents and visitors to unlock the potential of emerging smart city technology.

Data currently displayed on oxbike.co.uk is collected by Vivacity Lab sensors on the main cycle routes in and around Oxford. The sensors use artificial intelligence that continuously captures, anonymises, and classifies live transport movement including cars, pedestrians, cyclists and buses. Data from the sensors has been used to help develop cycling and walking strategy and policy, understand how Covid-19 restrictions have affected use of public space and to support teams to secure further funding for active travel.

Oxbike is another example of the collaborative innovation work the Oxfordshire County Council iHub has been doing. The iHub builds relationships between the council, academia and business to develop, test and use technology to improve peoples’ lives and drive investment within the county. Since 2015, the iHub has supported over 60 innovation projects; working with partners to deliver projects in Oxfordshire with funding that has come from a range of sources such as Innovate UK, H2020 and Gov Tech.

Cllr Yvonne Constance, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for environment said:

“Oxbike is a welcome contribution to our travel and transport work as a county and will enable the council and partners to better understand journey data. This will play a particularly important role as the council looks to expand and develop an upgraded cycling infrastructure amid the recovery from the pandemic and as we look to implement ways to cut emissions and wider transport plans including bus gates for Oxford.”

Llewelyn Morgan, Head of Innovation at Oxfordshire County Council said:

“There has been a lot of expectation of the benefit of connected vehicles, which are now becoming prevalent on our roads. Oxfordshire is committed to be at the forefront of this through enabling applications that benefit our communities. This project will develop an important application by connecting data with smart infrastructure to help improve our knowledge of road use and safety on the road for all users.”

Mark Nicholson, Chief Executive of Vivacity Labs said:

"We're really excited to see the Oxbike website open up our data to the public and look forward to seeing how Oxbike can improve active travel around Oxfordshire."

Visit the site: www.oxbike.co.uk

Testing of the technology is now being opened to wider community participation which will collect insights from 300 lights which are available at just £15 against a normal retail price of £45.

The trial is being run between Oxfordshire County Council, Milton Park, Smart Oxford and smart cycle light company See.Sense. The trial involves the ACE light which is a compact but bright LED rear light that charges by USB. The light operates in tandem with an app on a users mobile device which then transmits data on the ride and route to a data hub where it can be analysed.

What really separates the ACE from standard rear lights is the extra smart functionality. It flashes brighter in high-risk situations such as intersections and switches to a solid red light when riders brake. The app also allows users to control the light’s settings and keep track of ride statistics and even calories expended—one user reportedly burned off the equivalent of 121 donuts and saved 64 kg of CO2 compared to completing his journeys by car. The range of data insights offered helps bring alive the tangible the benefits of cycling and can gently motivate users to make even more use of their bikes as a form of everyday transport.

By joining the Oxfordshire Smart Cycling Project on the See.Sense app and connecting the light to the app, data from the light is collected by See.Sense, depersonalised, and shared with county transport planners. Over 100 million points of data have been collected thus far in Oxfordshire, not only showing where and when people cycle, but speeds, obstructions and road surface conditions.

Insights collected from See.Sense lights add to the development of a comprehensive cycling dataset. Other sources of data include Vivacity Lab sensors, which use artificial intelligence to count cyclists and pedestrians passing through over 120 junctions in Oxfordshire. Together, these innovative technologies are providing the county council with a rich and ongoing source of cycling data that will be used to inform how the county council can reprioritise our road space to provide improved cycling routes across the City and beyond.

Laura Peacock, Innovation Hub Manager at Oxfordshire County Council said:

“The Oxfordshire County Council Innovation Hub is excited to work together with See.Sense and Smart Oxford as part of this Smart Cycling Project. The project provides an opportunity for citizens and the council to work together to improve our understanding of how cyclists move around the city. The ACE lights, through their smart functionality, will help make cycling safer and more fun for participants. Data gathered from the lights will provide the council insights on not only where cyclists travel, but speed, delays, and even road surface conditions. This data will inform how the county council can improve cycle routes in the city and beyond. Further, See.Sense lights, as a consistent source of data, will show how cyclists interact with new road infrastructure, allowing the council to continue to iterate and invest in the most effective interventions.”

The lasting impact of the See.Sense technology will be to allow cycle rides to be visible to council transport planners, enabling a better-connected, safer cycling infrastructure to be developed.

The project will run from December 2019 to December 2020. See.Sense has offered the smart bike lights at a reduced cost of £15 on a first come first serve basis.

Go to https://seesense.cc/pages/oxfordshireproject to find out more about the project and buy your discounted ACE light while supplies last. Enter SmartCities code OXFORD on the See.Sense app to join.

Rubber from tyres has already been tested in Germany and Coventry in the hope that it will provide the sort of flexibility and hard-wearing qualities that would make for longer-lasting road surfaces.

Another new technique that has been catching the imagination of some people involves the use of waste plastic. Like tyres the UK produces a large amount of this material and tests have also been carried out in this country to see how it fares, but at the moment the council’s experts don’t think that the process is advanced enough to use in Oxfordshire for carriageways but we are working with our suppliers to look at the potential for the use of plastics in footways.

Old roads come round to a new way of thinking

Normally when a road is resurfaced the old materials are dug up and sent off to landfill. This not only costs money but also could be a waste of valuable materials.

The county council has recently been using a technique called ‘Regen’ where old surface materials are recycled on site. We are also trialling similar techniques for small scale patching and pothole repairs, see below for information on Roadmender.

Doing this reduces the need to bring in new materials and the number of lorry movements is reduced making an overall co2 reduction compared with a traditional treatment. These environmental benefits alone have been a great reason to utilise this process but it is also a lot cheaper than doing a traditional treatment.

Fire breathing Dragons could be joined by a new breed

We have been sending our fleet of Dragon Patchers out onto the county’s roads for a few years now and their talent for fixing large numbers of rural potholes, and sealing the surrounding surface, is well known.

Their work will continue, but the hunt is always on for new technology and methods to keep the highways in good shape.

A recent trial of a Road Mender patching unit, which heats the existing road surface combined with some additional material then rolled, leaving seamless repairs, recycling of old surface material in a relatively quick process, has been viewed favourably.

It is hoped that this portable machine can be put to use again in 2019 and, by then, we hope to have a more catchy name for it.

Warming up to cooler materials

Not every cost saving technique is high-tech. Our engineers are now looking at using more ‘warm mix asphalt’ to surface roads. This type of material means that it doesn’t need to be heated to as higher temperature reducing the energy needed. It also allows the road to be opened quicker meaning you can get more done and don’t need to wait as long before traffic can use the newly surfaced area.

The concrete screed we used on Woodstock Road provides a stronger rut resistant surface course by filling in the voids between the aggregate with concrete. While slightly more expensive initially using this on areas like bus stops and bus lanes will hopefully prevent problems such as surface rutting caused by the regular movement of heavy vehicles.

Putting things to the test

County Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet member for Environment, said: “Money is a major factor when it comes to improving the condition of our roads and we need to do all we can get to get the most out of it.

“New ways of doing things need to be tested in real life situations to see how they perform. We have had some real successes which have gone from trials to business as usual, meaning our money goes further.

“One such trial has been the Paco Patch which is a system to repair the roads around loose or damaged drains and man holes. A trail last year led to some 250 Paco Patch repairs with only two problems reported.

“Of course sometimes the trials in Oxfordshire and elsewhere show up problems and that experience is just as valuable. If something fails to perform we don’t use it until the problems have been addressed.”

These are some of the exciting opportunities being pursued for Oxfordshire’s road users by the county council’s Smart City initiative.

As an education and high-tech innovation hub, Oxford is uniquely placed to develop new technologies for the benefit of its residents.

Smart City exploits these strengths, with Oxfordshire County Council working in partnership with entrepreneurs and academics to tackle the county’s traffic challenges. It’s part of the council’s commitment to provide services that enhance the quality of life for communities and protect the local environment.

The Smart City projects are grant supported – for example, from central government – which means Oxfordshire County Council is playing a leading role in many of the innovative schemes without requiring significant funding from local taxpayers.

The county council’s head of innovation, Llewellyn Morgan, is speaking at the Smart Places of the Future conference, in London, today (Tuesday 22 January). He’ll be sharing a vision of Oxford as a high-tech beacon of urban transport innovation.

One of the ground-breaking projects involves exploiting the information-gathering capabilities of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs); how they can help with traffic movement and make road maintenance more efficient.

Llewellyn explains: “Experimental CAV cars are fitted with special surveying equipment that measures distance to particular targets using pulsed laser light and a sensor.

“Working with Oxbotica, an autonomous vehicle software company, the team is testing this equipment, mapping Oxford’s road surfaces.

“Could the data be used quickly and accurately to identify where tarmac is breaking up? If so, it could help our highway maintenance teams to fix potholes and plan resurfacing work before further deterioration.

“A ‘prevention before cure’ approach has potential to save council tax payers thousands of pounds a year.”

Similar technology has been applied to two-wheels. The Smart Cycling Detection project aims to improve cyclist safety, gathering real-time information on their locations within traffic flows, such as at busy junctions. The data is then used to protect cyclists by warning other road users that they’re there.

Data showing how many cyclists are using roads at certain times will help council planners consider the best places to introduce dedicated cycling lanes, traffic lights and other traffic management measures.

Sensors on cycles and vehicles could capture air pollution levels, with real-time digital maps offering alternative walking and cycling routes to dodge the smog.

Route and timing information, showing how much quicker cycling and walking can be – and the benefits to health and well-being – have potential to encourage more people to leave their cars at home.

Oxfordshire County Councillor Cabinet Member for the Environment, Yvonne Constance, said: “These exciting projects are turning Oxford into a ‘living laboratory’ where we test technology, discover and develop innovative congestion solutions, and promote healthy transport options.

“By working closely with industry and academics, we can help shape practical uses for ingenious high-tech innovations. It’s a win-win-win; for Oxfordshire’s residents, for local businesses and university researchers.”

For further information about Oxford Smart City, visit the website: www.oxfordsmartcity.uk

The future of transport lies in driverless cars, alternative fuels and power sources and a “connected” world where communication technology helps people get from A to B safely and efficiently.

From developing driverless cars to planning for zero-emission zones and installing power points for the next generation of cleaner cars, Oxfordshire County Council has a hand in supporting a wide-range of exciting local businesses and projects.

See the future now in Oxfordshire

But far from being about developments forever on the horizon, things are already happening right now.

Eagle-eyed visitors to Oxford may have seen the DRIVEN branded driverless cars travelling in and around Oxford for some time. Recently, as you will see in the video, one of the vehicles took to Frideswide Square and other city-centre roads.

Transport solutions come in different forms and recently the county council has worked closely with communities on the edge of Oxford to look at developing mobility options. This has worked really well and helped inform Oxford Bus’ roll out their new on demand bus service “Pick-me-up” – which shows putting in the resources to get community engagement to look in depth at a problem can have real impact and inform new commercial led solutions to their problems.

Smart Oxford, Smart Oxfordshire

The county council is a major player in the Smart Oxford project – a partnership of public and private sector organisations that are building a stronger, safer, economically and environmentally sustainable city.

And, because of its central role in unlocking funding and bringing people together, the county council is gaining a national profile sharing its experiences across the UK.

Oxfordshire is also one of the best-performing and most innovative areas in England and has unique assets to support growth in the national economy. A significant regional economy, Oxfordshire contributes £21.9 billion a year to national output.

This success is something that looks set to continue. Between 2011 and 2016, employment in Oxfordshire grew at 2.4 times the rate of its population, and employment in high tech sectors grew at 15.6%.

It is home to Oxford University, ranked number 1 in Europe for both research and commercialisation, large government investments (more than £2Bn in internationally leading scientific facilities), especially at Harwell and Culham, leading industry clusters in life sciences, scientific instrumentation and motorsport, and the largest investment fund for university spin-outs globally

£2.7m cash for real-world digital replica

Only this week a trailblazing county council-supported project that will develop a ‘Virtual Twin’ world for a type of driverless car – known as Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) – has been awarded £2.7m by the Government’s Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles.

This digital replica of the real world will provide a testbed for new driverless cars so that they can be thoroughly trialled and accredited before they take to the streets.

England’s number one

Oxfordshire has also been named in a recent report by Arcadis as the number one region in England for economic growth potential – ahead of Cambridge, Manchester and London – and behind only Edinburgh in the UK.

This is due, in part, to the amazing range of technology-based companies in the county. Oxfordshire is currently home to an internationally recognised cluster of ‘big science’ and research facilities - over 1,500 high tech businesses - and a highly skilled workforce.

Llewellyn Morgan, the county council’s service manager for infrastructure, innovation and development, said: “Rising to the challenge of transport is key to Oxfordshire continuing to grow and benefit from thriving economy.

“You can look at Oxford city in two ways. The traditional view is that it is made up of roads that are too narrow and winding to be fit for the future. But the way we see them is as the ideal environment to test and develop technology that can really make a massive difference.

“Transport is one of the major challenges for Oxfordshire and many other areas trying to fulfil their potential, which is fortunate as we are home to world-leading engineers, developers and cutting-edge technology companies, not to mention Oxford University which is ranked number top in Europe for research and commercialisation.

“Oxfordshire is globally renowned as a centre of science and innovation and one of the top five innovation ecosystems in the world, but rankings don’t mean a great deal without things happening out there in our communities and on the county’s roads.”

As Oxford looks to introduce the UK’s first zero emission zone in 2020, hydrogen and fuel cell technologies will have an important role to play in helping to ‘decarbonise’ the county.

The Oxfordshire Hydrogen Hub has been set up to bring together local stakeholders and the hydrogen and fuel cell industry to develop projects that will deploy technology in a way which meets the local energy needs of the community.

Oxfordshire County Council’s Innovation and Research team has been instrumental in developing the links between business and academia, as well as securing external funding for projects for the county which will drive new solutions for Oxfordshire and beyond.

Susan Halliwell, Director for Planning and Place, Oxfordshire County Council: “Oxfordshire County Council is committed to a supporting the development of a low carbon future across the county.

“Hydrogen technologies have a key role to play in realising this future, providing a pathway to cost effective clean energy.

“We are pleased to be partnering with the Hydrogen Hub to launch the Oxfordshire Hydrogen Hub and look forward to working together to drive investment in this important technology.”

The launch of the Oxfordshire Hydrogen Hub launch brought together businesses and stakeholders to learn about the different technologies and how they might be applied in different scenarios to deliver clean, cost effective energy.

Speakers included both technology developers and those currently using the technology. Those attending – as well as members of the public passing by the Said Business School – got to see two hydrogen vehicles, a Toyota Mirai and Hyundai ix35 fuel cell will also be displayed in front of the venue.

For more information on the event and the Hydrogen Hub visit here.

Innovate UK has today (25 February) announced the award of £2.5 million to trial self-driving vehicles in and around Milton Park, the large, high-tech business and science hub near Didcot. The vehicles will travel between private roads at Milton Park and the public roads that link the site with nearby transport services.

The 30-month MultiCAV project will be undertaken by a consortium of organisations with different sector backgrounds who are investing in the development of autonomous vehicles, and led by UK transport operator FirstGroup.

Despite being relatively close to Didcot Parkway station, most travel to and from Milton Park is currently done in private vehicles. With the site set to expand in the coming years, the MultiCAV consortium is building on the work already underway to provide the park with long-term, safe sustainable transport.

Commuters to the site will be able to connect with the self-driving pods from local transport services, while booking and paying for their trip in one easy process.

It is hoped that by the end of the trial up to 50% of private vehicle journeys within the business park will switch to using the shared, electric-powered pods.

BEIS Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Minister for Business and Energy, Richard Harrington, said: “Through these competitions, we are offering innovative businesses support to take their projects to the next level and help them achieve commercial success. The projects that we are nurturing mean that we are a step closer to securing our place as a world leader in self-driving vehicles. This significant investment is a mark of the innovation that is at the heart of our modern Industrial Strategy. The development of new technologies is a cornerstone of the UK’s world-class science and research and will ensure that we deliver a Britain fit for the future by creating jobs and the skills needed to succeed.”

Innovate UK Chief Executive Ruth McKernan said: “The quality and commercial potential of these successful projects demonstrate how UK businesses are developing pioneering connected and autonomous vehicle technologies. The impact will benefit our thriving automotive industry and the economy as a whole.”

Yvonne Constance, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for Environment and Economy, said: “Oxfordshire was the first council to consider autonomous vehicles within its transport policy and has been a supporter of the technology since it’s infancy in the UK.

"We have an incredible concentration of AV related companies, and in Culham, RACE the UK’s real world test bed facility.

"The county council has been keen on including innovation in the delivery of Didcot Garden Town from the very start and this project will be one of the first to demonstrate the approach and further enhance Oxfordshire’s place as a world leader in applied learning and development of AVs.”

John Birtwistle, project lead for FirstGroup, said: “We’re excited to be leading the first mainstream use of autonomous vehicles in the UK. By connecting the Milton Park development with the existing regional transport infrastructure, including Great Western Railway trains at Didcot Parkway station, commuters will see a tangible reason to leave their cars at home. It’s a huge step towards tackling the problem of congestion on our roads and enabling the sustainable future development of the business park and, potentially, other similar sites in the future.”

Vectos, a London-based transport consultancy, has been helping MEPC identify sustainable travel initiatives at Milton Park.

Veronica Reynolds, Behavioural Change Advisor at Vectos, said: “A key aim of the Milton Park Travel Forum is to work closely with the Park’s business leaders to future-proof the park’s transport offer. This innovative new project builds on the work of that Forum and its vision to provide more and greener travel options. We would like to thank everyone at Milton Park for the support we have received to date which has undoubtedly contributed to the success in securing this project funding.”

Philip Campbell, Commercial Director for MEPC at Milton Park said: “Milton Park is at the heart of UK’s most fertile innovation economy and this project is about using technology developed by some of the best brains in the world to improve sustainable transport choice. The fruition of this project will give Milton Park occupiers better choice in their daily travel decisions and the chance to be amongst the first in the world to travel on autonomous shuttle vehicles for their everyday journeys.”

John Cotton, Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “The funding will deliver an exciting regular commercial service, using innovative transport, to connect residents, visitors and workers to the surrounding business community based on Milton Park – one of the main principles in the Didcot Garden Town plan.”

Matthew Barber, Leader of the Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “Science Vale UK is already renowned for creating state-of-the-art technology and, along with our business partners, we are delighted to receive the Innovate UK grant that confirms our ambitions to establish the Science Vale at the forefront of bringing zero emission autonomous public transport to our region.”

About the delivery partners

The MultiCAV consortium comprises:

• FirstGroup (overall coordination and project lead)
• Arrival (manufacturer of electric vehicles)
• Zipabout (MaaS system developers)
• Milton Park (providers of infrastructure in business park
• South Oxfordshire District Council (local planning authority)
• Vale of White Horse District Council (local planning authority)
• Oxfordshire County Council (local transport authority)
• The University of the West of England (user evaluation)
• Nova Modus (autonomous transport consultants)

Oxfordshire County Council is part of a consortium that has secured more than £400,000 of Innovate UK funding for the V2GO project under the recent Vehicle to Grid competition.

The project will test and trial “bi-directional charging” meaning that a group of electric vehicles can help to “balance” the power grid – effectively giving back power from their batteries when it is needed during peak times and charging up ready to drive when demand is lower.

The consortium is made up of eight major organisations with expertise in energy and power markets and systems, fleet operation value chains and electric mobility: EDF Energy R&D UK, University of Oxford, Oxfordshire County Council, Arrival, EO Charging, Upside Energy, and Fleet Innovation.

Congestion and air quality could benefit

Working with business and academic partners, the county council will be investigating the impacts and benefits to the locality. These could include congestion reduction and air quality improvement.

The team will also be supporting the development of a tool kit for other local authorities looking to harness the opportunities the technology presents.

New opportunities in energy storage

The energy storage capacity of electric vehicles (EVs), presents new opportunities and value propositions for fleet operators and power system services (e.g., potentially alleviate the need for generation and transmission investments; increasing network efficiency and energy security).

Oxfordshire County Council is committed to supporting the deployment low carbon transport technologies across a variety of platforms. With central government continuing to challenge local authorities to think differently and drive efficiencies we are delighted to be collaborating with the private sector and academia to develop solutions for our county’s challenges.

Oxfordshire a leader in innovation

County Councillor Yvonne Constance, Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet member for Environment and Economy, said: “Oxfordshire is a leader in new developments in innovation and technology.

“We know that making the switch to electric vehicles in our county will help improve air quality and reduce local emissions.

“Smart, connected technology is proving to be incredibly helpful in our daily lives and the fact that Oxfordshire County Council is driving forward another cutting edge demonstrator project with a team of excellent, innovative partners is really exciting.

“The V2GO project appears highly technical, but in simple terms it shows that we are thinking not just about the transport technologies of the future and the “smart” infrastructure required to power it, but also the wider benefits of such innovations to the people of Oxfordshire.

“Oxfordshire is home to 678,000 residents and has a thriving network of villages, towns and a major city as well as fast growing locations such as Banbury, Bicester, Abingdon, Didcot and Henley. Oxfordshire’s economy generates output to the value of £21.9bn per year from 400,000 jobs and over 30,000 businesses. And that is why the county council is constantly pushing to be at the forefront of encouraging new technology as we know it will help enhance and support our thriving economy.”

Background to the project and funding

The project is part of the Vehicle-to-Grid competition, funded by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and the department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), in partnership with Innovate UK.

In January 2018, OLEV and BEIS announced that 21 projects (8 feasibility studies, 5 collaborative research and development projects, and 8 real-world v2g trial projects) were to receive funding of c£30m to develop the business proposition and core technology around V2G, and demonstrate those with large scale trials. The projects involve more than 50 industrial partners and research organisations from both the Energy and Automotive sector, marking the largest and most diverse activities on V2G in the world, and trialling more than 2700 vehicles across UK.

The V2G projects represent a significant step towards the transition to a low carbon transportation and a smart energy system. Allowing EVs to return energy to the Power Grid when parked and plugged for charging, will increase Grid resilience, allow for better exploitation of renewable sources and lower the cost of ownership for EV owners, leading to new business opportunities and clear advantages for EV users and energy consumers.

First of its kind in the UK

The DIMES (Distributed Integrated Multi-Use Energy System) project – a unique project for the UK - is looking at how a high-tech Fuel Cell system could heat, electrically power and provide hydrogen transport fuel for new developments.

Clean and high quality technology

Fuel cells cleanly and efficiently convert energy from hydrogen-rich fuels into electrical power and usable high quality heat using an electrochemical process.

The study has received £60,000 form Innovate UK and aims to show that the technology, potentially the first of its kind at this size in the UK, is a viable and clean energy source.

Fuel Cell Systems Limited is leading the project alongside partners from the University of Oxford, Oxfordshire County Council, Cherwell District Council and Metropolitan Infrastructure Limited.

Tom Sperrey, MD of Fuel Cell Systems Limited said: “We are delighted that Innovate UK has awarded the funds to the DIMES project team to investigate this game-changing, clean energy technology.

“We would like to show how Fuel Cell technology would cost effectively heat and power properties, and could bring millions of pounds into the local economy, creating skilled employment for Bicester workers.

“The UK’s widespread air pollution problems would be assisted with the development of the zero emission hydrogen fuel and is part of a zero carbon future, with the potential to offer more than a gas powered CHP heat network.”

Answer to future energy supply

County Councillor Ian Hudspeth, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “This is a really exciting development as we are looking closely at something that could be an answer to energy supply problems of the future.

“Oxfordshire is the home of technical innovation and Bicester is at the heart of growth in the county and so clearly the partnership we are involved in a perfect answer to the challenges ahead.”

Cllr Barry Wood, Leader of Cherwell District Council said: “Bicester residents’ health and wellbeing is for us the focal point of the town’s growth. We are encouraging people to be more active by choosing cleaner, greener transport alternatives, such as walking and cycling.

"Therefore improving the air quality is crucial and we welcome the funding to DIMES as it goes towards our aim to make Bicester an even better place to live, work and play.”

The findings of the project will be published in November this year.

The county council is part of a consortium working hard to bring “autonomous vehicles” to UK roads and is now celebrating a multi-million pound award which will help drive the research needed .

The DRIVEN consortium is to receive a £8.6 million grant awarded by Innovate UK with match funding from private sector partners.

London to Oxford journey

The money will fund a very ambitious project that will see a fleet of fully autonomous vehicles being deployed in urban areas and on motorways, culminating in an end-to-end journey from London to Oxford.

The will be operating at Level 4 autonomy – meaning they have the capability of performing all safety-critical driving functions and monitoring roadway conditions for an entire trip with zero-passenger occupancy.

No connected and autonomous vehicle trial at this level of complexity and integration has ever been attempted anywhere in the world.

Connected infrastructure

The county council’s role will be to support the “connected infrastructure” capabilities of this new technology by exploring the scope of the ability of vehicles to communicate with fixed infrastructure such as traffic lights. The council will receive funding from the programme to allow this to happen.

Llewellyn Morgan, Service Manager Infrastructure, Innovation & Development for Communities at the county council, explained: “The project will enhance the county council’s reputation as a leader in intelligent mobility and means that we can take what we learn from this and other projects to benefit other places in Oxfordshire in the future.

“Oxfordshire, as part of the DRIVEN partnership is a leader in the field of Autonomous Vehicles and is firmly part of the change in transport and not waiting for it to happen to us.”

The consortium’s 30-month project plan, which is due to commence in April 2017, will shake-up both the transportation and insurance industries by seeking to remove fundamental barriers to real-world commercial deployment of autonomous vehicles.

The DRIVEN partners

Oxbotica are lead partner for the project as Industrial Lead, other partners include Oxford Robotics Institute, Oxfordshire County Council, Transport for London, re/insurer XL Catlin, Nominet, Telefonica O2 UK, Transport Research Laboratory, the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s RACE, and Westbourne Communications.

One of the council’s highway officers came across a large tree branch blocking the carriageway and contacted colleagues from the Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service via the council’s customer service centre. A specialist team was sent to cut up and remove the offending timber, restoring order the well-used local road.

Until recently contractors dealt with all fallen trees on the road but it is thought that in many circumstances a fire service response could restore safety and traffic flows more quickly. The county council’s regular contractors will remain available to do this work if the fire service has more pressing priorities.

Paul Wilson, Highway Network Resilience Coordinator, said: “Trained firefighters from the Specialist Rescue Team are now turning out to remove dangerous fallen trees from the highway as part of a special trial.

“The trial seems to be going well as this latest piece of work shows.”

Jason Crapper, “The Fire and Rescue service is an integral part of the county council and it makes sense that we test whether using our specialist skills and resources can benefit residents to save time, maintain safety and save money.”

Only trees that fall onto roads are dealt with by the fire service - trees falling on private land remain the responsibility of the owners and emergency call outs will remain the fire service’s top priority.

The project is the result of a successful Oxfordshire County Council bid for almost £240,000 of government and will use big data and smart technology to guide vehicles towards available parking.

Called CASPAR (CollAborative Smart PARking project), the scheme will help provide up to the minute information showing the occupancy of Blue Badge spaces, carparks and some city centre pay and display spaces, as well as any new electric vehicle charge points.

Now that the money has been awarded the county council will look closely at the best ways to deliver the information and the infrastructure that would be needed.

It is likely that the information would be sent to a smartphone app that would be versatile enough to show users not only where there was a Blue Badge space available near their destination, but also to reroute them to the next nearest one if that space was taken before they got there.

The county council hopes that the scheme will help reduce stress for people trying to find somewhere to park as well as reducing congestion. Improved access to information effectively helps people to look ahead and plan journeys according to where facilities are available.

Llewelyn Morgan, Service Manager Infrastructure, Innovation & Development for Communities at the county council said: “Oxfordshire County Council is working at the cutting edge of transport at the moment and is helping a range of visions such as driverless cars and intelligent transport smartphone apps get off the ground. The way we travel continues to change, and technology has a valuable role to play through intelligent transport systems.

“The work being done now is great news especially for people who are seeking Blue Badge spaces or to charge their electric vehicle. Looking to the future there is also the prospect of the information collected by the system being pushed out to the next generation of ‘connected vehicles.”

A total of £238,928 for the project, which will start in April 2017, has been awarded from the DfT’s Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems fund following a bid submitted by Oxfordshire County Council.

He will see first-hand how the technology is driving innovation and transforming the way Oxfordshire firms do business during his visit to Milton Park today (Friday).

The whole area – part of Science Vale UK Enterprise Zone – now has access to faster fibre broadband thanks to Better Broadband for Oxfordshire (BBfO).

The £35 million BBfO roll-out is being led by Oxfordshire County Council and BT, with additional funding from Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP). It is part of the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) programme and builds on private sector investment.

Across Oxfordshire more than 70,000 businesses and households now have access to superfast fibre broadband as a result of BBfO. The figure rises to around 273,000 when combined with commercial roll-outs.*

The Rt. Hon Matt Hancock MP said: “Nine out of 10 homes and businesses can now get superfast broadband, and we’re reaching thousands more every week. I’m delighted we’ve now reached more than 70,000 additional properties in Oxfordshire, providing a tremendous boost to the local economy, and helping make sure that the people of Oxfordshire have the connectivity they need in today’s digital society.”

More than 6,500 Oxfordshire businesses can now access the technology as a result of the BBfO roll-out, including around 250 firms on Milton Park, home to some of the county’s most dynamic industries, innovative small and medium businesses and world-leading life science companies.

Among them are Motors.co.uk, the online car specialists, based in Olympic Avenue, and printing and design experts, Carbon Colour, whose bosses welcomed the new development.

Phill Jones, managing director of Motors.co.uk, said: “As an online business, fast and reliable internet access is critical for our operation. It is great to see investment in the infrastructure to support the growth of businesses like ours and others in Oxfordshire.”

Nigel Allen, managing director of Carbon Colour, said: “As a print and display company we rely on fast broadband to send and receive large image files, so welcome the arrival of fibre broadband to Milton Park. This superfast service will increase our productivity and help us beat the tightest of deadlines that can be a problem when using just basic broadband.”

Councillor Ian Hudspeth, leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “We’re delighted that all businesses at Milton Park are now able to choose a connectivity service which offers choice and affordability to innovative companies who are helping to boost a critical segment of the economy, not just here in Oxfordshire, but around the UK.”

Engineers from Openreach – BT’s local network business – have installed five new fibre broadband cabinets on Milton Park and more than four kilometres of fibre optic cable.

As a result, many households in nearby Milton village that were previously not able to access fibre can now get the many benefits of the technology.

Councillor Hudspeth added: “We expect at least 95 per cent of Oxfordshire premises to have access to superfast broadband by December, and I’m delighted to announce an ambition to improve on this. In partnership with BT, we are finalising plans to make the technology available to a further 2,000 premises as a result of contract savings achieved in this successful programme to date.

“We’re also about to launch a co-funding scheme whereby Oxfordshire County Council will support those very rural or very small communities which are too expensive to upgrade using public funds alone.”

Further details are available on the BBfO website: www.betterbroadbandoxfordshire.org.uk

Nigel Tipple, chief executive of OxLEP, which contributed £2 million to the BBfO programme to enable more businesses in the Enterprise Zone to get superfast broadband, said: “This is a great step forward for Oxfordshire. Introducing superfast broadband at Milton Park, along with our wider programme of improvements to digital connectivity in Oxfordshire, means we have a great platform to ensure network capacity is available for our modern businesses to thrive and grow, benefitting the local economy.”

Phillip Campbell, Milton Park’s commercial director, said: “Giving Milton Park businesses plenty of choice when it comes to broadband services is very important to us. The timing of the extra service fits nicely with our new Park Drive East development.”

Steve Henderson, BT’s regional director for broadband partnerships, said: “Superfast fibre broadband is transforming the way people do business and communicate. Whether it’s downloading or sharing large files and other information with customers, suppliers or employees, or uploading graphics and photographs, everything is easier and faster with fibre technology. As a result, it makes firms more efficient and competitive, and opens up new and exciting trading opportunities for local businesses across the county and around the world.”

The Openreach network is ‘open’, which means businesses and households choosing to upgrade have a wide choice of fibre broadband providers. The FTTC network provides access to download speeds of up to 80 megabits per second (Mbps) and uploads of up to 20Mbps**.

*Source: www.thinkbroadband.co.uk

**Speeds referred to are the top wholesale speeds available from Openreach to all service providers; speeds offered by service providers may vary.