The Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor

Formerly known as the Oxford–Cambridge Arc, this region is the UK’s most dynamic growth corridor, connecting two world-class university cities and a network of science parks, tech clusters and high-growth businesses. With a population of approximately 3.5 million and Government recognition as a national economic priority, the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor is projected to become “Europe’s Silicon Valley”.

Key growth drivers:

£78 billion potential uplift in GDP by 2035 through accelerated investment, planning reform and improved connectivity
East West Rail unlocking £6.7 billion in regional growth by 2050, enabling up to 100,000 new homes and tens of thousands of jobs
400,000+ high-skilled jobs forecast by 2050, driven by a skills agenda aligned to the Arc Universities Group
£1.4 billion in venture capital investment in 2024–25, making Oxford and Cambridge the UK’s leading innovation cities outside London
3.5 million population across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire.
We’re embedded in the Growth Corridor. Our office network is strategically located to serve clients across the corridor and beyond, with offices in Oxford, Cambridge and London at its heart.

Our offices in Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Norwich provide national reach supporting businesses and organisations in the region with scale and supply-chain links. This footprint enables us to deliver seamless advisory services across the region’s innovation districts, science parks, tech clusters and educational institutions.

Expertise aligned to the Growth Corridor

We provide strategic legal and operational support in built environment and planning, life sciences and medtech, and technology, AI & venture capital. From complex developments and science-ready schemes to high-growth ventures and global tech transactions, we help clients manage risk, secure investment, and scale confidently across the Cambridge–Oxford–London innovation corridor.

Built environment and planning

We support and deliver solutions for domestic and international clients operating in, and on all aspects of, the built environment. Unlocking complex mixed-use and science-ready schemes, including planning, land assembly and infrastructure agreements. Recent work includes enabling structures for Oxford North and major science asset acquisitions.

Technology, AI and venture capital

We're the legal advisers behind some of the UK’s most successful technology businesses. We act for entrepreneurs leading fast-growth technology startups and spin outs through to IPO and work closely with global technology giants and their investors.

Whether you're a tech entrepreneur looking for investment, a multinational negotiating a strategic technology deal or you have an innovation you are looking to protect and commercialise, we can help.

Corporate, venture and data/AI counsel for high-growth tech, plus investor-side and portfolio support
Efficient deal closure and compliance across the Cambridge–Oxford–London innovation corridor

Much of our technology advice has an international element, and we support clients to navigate the maze of issues when trading globally.

Life Sciences and medtech

Driving innovation in life sciences and medtech requires more than great ideas - it needs strategic legal and operational support. Whether you’re securing investment, protecting IP, or scaling globally, we’re here to help.

Expert guidance on corporate transactions, venture capital and financing for high-growth businesses and investors
Comprehensive support on IP, regulatory compliance and risk management across the Cambridge–Oxford–London innovation corridor
HR, immigration and global mobility solutions to help you attract and retain top talent

Education and research

We’re the UK’s leading law firm for education clients seeking advice on the most complex, high-value and strategically significant matters.

Whether you’re managing governance, developing estates or commercialising research, we’re here to help. We offer:

Expert guidance on governance, compliance and endowment management for colleges and universities
Support on planning and delivering science-ready estates and student accommodation across the Cambridge–Oxford–London innovation corridor
Advice on IP, spin-outs and partnerships to accelerate research impact and attract investment
HR, immigration and global mobility solutions to help you recruit and retain world-class talent

Our clients

Bango
Redgate
Speechmatics
F-Star
Tessellate Bio
Wellcome Trust
Christchurch, Oxford
St. John’s College, Oxford

Oxford North

Marick Real estate

Marshall Group

Railpen

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Jesus College, Cambridge

University of Cambridge

Oxford University Endowment Management

Why Mills & Reeve?

Cross-disciplinary delivery

Integrated teams for speed and certainty.

On-the-ground presence

Sector specialists in Oxford, Cambridge, and London.

Policy-aware advice

Practical strategies aligned to policy and infrastructure.

Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor case studies

Here are some of the recent partnerships we've been involved in.

Oxford North

Managed Thomas White Oxford Ltd's promotion of Oxford North, a new global life sciences district. This will include 480 homes and 87,300m of employment space. We were involved in complex legal agreements, unlocking planning permission and resolving land issues for Oxford colleges.

Cambridge Mechatronics

Provided counsel on commercial contracts to Cambridge Mechatronics, a supplier of microchips and mobile phone camera technology, including closing licensing deals in 2025 with major North American licensees. We advised on contracts with chip foundries and mobile phone component manufacturers, as well as joint development agreements with leading industry players.

AI cardio pioneer

Advised Lightrock on a $55 million Series C funding round for Ultromics, Oxford-based pioneer of AI driven cardiology solutions. Ultromics has developed the first FDA-cleared AI technology to help clinicians detect two of the most elusive forms of heart failure - HFpEF and cardiac amyloidosis.

Strategic partnerships

Developed strong working relationships with Oxford City and Oxfordshire County Councils, ensuring swift completion of section 106 and 278 agreements, and led on innovative funding and CIL agreements.

Precision oncology

Advised Tessellate Bio, a precision oncology company specialising in novel synthetic lethality approaches, on its research collaboration and global licence agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim. This collaboration aims to develop first-in-class, oral precision treatments for people living with hard-to-treat cancer. The focus is on targeting tumours dependent on alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) for their growth, which is present in 10-15% of all cancers and associated with lack of targeted therapies.

University spin-out

Helped on Foresight Ventures and Cambridge Enterprise's investment, designed to commercialise Illumion’s advanced optical microscopy technique. Known as "Charge Photometry", this innovation could transform battery research and development, ultimately accelerating the global energy transition.

Major regeneration

Involved in major local regenerations, supporting Marick Real Estate on a significant regeneration of George Street and Kadans Science Partners on acquiring The Science Quadrant in Abingdon.

Mode Labs

Instructed the spin-out, IP licensing, founder engagement, and fundraising for Mode Labs, an award-winning Oxford University spin-out in chemical sensor technology. Mode Labs has developed a new chemical sensing platform that will deliver plug-and-play laboratory measurement capabilities in the field, with 10,000x increased sensitivity, 6x longer deployments, at 10% of the cost of existing solutions.

Aviation campus at Duxford

The Imperial War Museums (IWM) and Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge entered a joint venture to create Duxford AvTech, a new aviation technology campus at the historic IWM Duxford site. This landmark project will transform a 25-acre site into a world-class centre for aviation innovation, with a focus on green propulsion, advanced air mobility and sustainable aerospace technologies. Located within the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor, the campus will offer around 45,000 sq. ft of high-quality innovation space, designed to attract leading-edge companies and researchers. Mills & Reeve advised on: structure and governance, public procurement aspects, planning and environmental compliance, and commercial arrangements with development partner, Henry Boot Developments (HBD).