The EpiCentre is Buzzing with Activity and Humming with the Sweet Sound of Success

The EpiCentre  is buzzing with activity and humming with the sweet sound of success – and its rise and rise has been no accident.

Since Helen Earl took over as centre manager in November 2024, tenancies have shot from 35 businesses to 54 – with a healthy waiting list.

Company No 54 has just arrived – as soon, some of the most advanced laboratory equipment in the region as The EpiCentre continues to raise facility standards, while being careful to maintain its attractive balance of business with pleasure. 

Some lab space within the equipped and supported lab suite remains available but Earl is shrewdly managing supply and demand as some companies inevitably grow and requirements shuffle and shift.

The cheerful looks on the faces of customers and staff alike literally put The EpiCentre smiles ahead of so many competitors – and, subject to negotiations, nearby land may eventually be utilised to further the centre’s innovation ambitions.

There are now around 30 Oxford Innovation centres around the UK – not just across the Golden Triangle of Cambridge-Oxford-London but also truly nationwide from Newcastle to Belfast and from Manchester to the South West. Precious few major UK economically important centres remain to be covered by the thoughtfully expanding reach of Oxford Innovation Space.

A review of the various natures of business covered by The EpiCentre customers is broad and impressive. Accountancy expertise – tick! Life Sciences – tick! Engineering, F1 motor sport, aerospace & nuclear – tick, tick, tick! AI, recruitment, advanced ear care, even thespian activities – keep on ticking because they are all covered here. And more.

Earl is proud of the diversity and the spirit of community that pervades The EpiCentre. She celebrates and embraces the difference and manages to pull this diverse menu of specialists into a feast tucking in at the same table.

Her entire team thrives on creating a friendly but businesslike atmosphere – making The EpiCentre a place where, whatever their tour de force, businesses love working. While they are embedded at The EpiCentre, the team puts them in touch with key contacts and plays a central role in that growth. And, yes, some grow to the point of needing to graduate from The EpiCentre and move into their own space, and Earl’s team respects and celebrates that. 

Earl explains that the heartbeat of The EpiCentre’s continuing success is the level of business support offered to every company that walks through its doors. Whether a start up taking its first steps or an established business preparing to scale, the team is right beside them — understanding their goals, adapting space as needs evolve, and opening doors to opportunities across the wider business landscape. This isn’t business support in a box; it’s tailored, responsive, and delivered with the trademark EpiCentre energy that customers have come to rely on.

“In many ways, we naturally become an extra arm of their business,” says Earl. “If a customer needs specialist guidance, fresh connections, or a steer in a new direction, we’re already on it — drawing on the strength of our own team and the extensive network around the Oxford Innovation family. 

“That commitment to standing shoulder to shoulder with our companies is what sets us apart. It’s never just about giving them space… it’s about giving them momentum.”