PRESS RELEASE - 07/11/2025

Proposals for EXOq will grow Oxford’s global reputation for scientific research and innovation

Plans for a vital UK research and innovation district, known as EXOq, adjacent to Oxford Parkway Station at the intersection of the Oxfordshire Knowledge Spine and the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor, will be unveiled at a public exhibition.

Exeter College, Oxford has developed the proposals for EXOq, which it says will build-on and enhance Oxford’s international reputation for scientific research and innovation. Central to the proposal is Sovereign High-Performance Compute (HPC) infrastructure to power and accelerate research of global significance and help unlock its commercial potential. The project has been named after Exeter College, Oxford, with the ‘q’ representing the site’s suitability for research and innovation in quantum computing.

Preliminary analysis (1) suggests that the economic impact of EXOq would be a gross value add (GVA) of c. £1.4bn per annum once operational, of which the direct benefit to Cherwell District would be a GVA of c. £0.9 billion per annum.  In terms of employment, the analysis suggests EXOq would create c. 7,000 jobs, of which c. 4,600 would be in Cherwell District.

Supercomputing is already playing a key role in groundbreaking discoveries in particle physics, advanced materials, health, climate, engineering, robotics and computer science itself. The connected innovation units at EXOq will provide opportunities to develop those discoveries into solutions for society’s greatest challenges by companies both large and small. 

The data centres will be quantum compatible and will also offer a trusted research environment for various data (including, for example, NHS data) to underpin the creation of intellectual property.

The land identified for EXOq is owned by Exeter College and spans either side of the A4260 Frieze Way, between the Oxford Canal and the A34.

The site, located within Cherwell District, benefits from unparalleled access, being adjacent to Parkway Station on one side and the canal towpath on the other, offering active travel options to Oxford and Kidlington. The development will be linked to Oxford Parkway station via a new foot and cycle bridge. This allows the development to be a low-traffic exemplar as well as making best use of Parkway Station as a regional and Growth Corridor asset.     

With sensitivity at its heart, a good portion of the 30-hectare site will become high quality parkland, providing leisure and community facilities and new public amenities for the nearby community of Kidlington, supporting the wellbeing of communities (2) and tackling social isolation.

In addition, the parkland will provide additional flood storage capacity. New footpaths will connect to canal-side walks, cycle paths and the footbridge to Oxford Parkway providing east-west connectivity. There will also be a further education college providing skilled local employment opportunities in hardware and IT. 

From a sustainability perspective, the hot water created by the liquid-cooled data centres will enable the development of district heating systems in Oxford and the local area in Cherwell District. In this context, EXOq is in discussions with 1Energy and is 1Energy’s preferred partner. 1Energy is the UK’s leading low-carbon city heat network developer, which has secured £21m of investment from the government for a city-wide heat network for Oxford.  

Exeter College, a constituent college of the University of Oxford, is at the forefront of Oxford innovation with a long-standing reputation for academic excellence. It is also home to the DeepMind Professor of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Professor Michael Bronstein.

Rector of Exeter College, Dr Andrew Roe CB, said: “This strategic development represents a significant investment in both national capability and the local community.”

Finance & Estates Bursar of Exeter College, Nicholas Badman, said  “EXOq’s sovereign HPC infrastructure will power and accelerate research of global significance and associated commercial ventures, building-on and enhancing Oxford’s world-renowned status.” 

(1) Source: Exeter-Oxford Innovation District: Employment Land and Economic Impact Assessment, October 2025. Prepared by: Economic Development Consultant Hardisty Jones www.hardistyjones.com

(2) Responding to Cherwell District Council’s “Everybody’s Wellbeing” Strategy and Kidlington’s K5 Better Together wellbeing programme.