Licensing case studies

From global health to advanced technologies, we always aim to find the most suitable partners to help the University deliver the strongest impact worldwide.

Our proven track record

Finding the right partner is key to unlocking the full potential of the University of Oxford’s research. By licensing intellectual property (IP) to organisations with the expertise, reach, and resources to develop it further, we accelerate the journey from discovery to impact.

In 2025 alone, we completed over 1,000 licensing deals – 66% with existing companies – continuing a long history of collaboration that has delivered more than 12,000 agreements since 2000.

Here are some of our success stories:

Delivering the world's first high-efficacy malaria vaccine at scale

Licensable innovation: the R21 vaccine that targets the very first stages of the malaria parasite’s lifecycle

A landmark partnership: the Oxford-AZ COVID-19 vaccine

Licensable innovation: an effective vaccine built at pace that could be made in large quantities for a low price.

Expanding the use of brain imaging

Licensable innovation: a comprehensive suite of tools for analysing images of the brain, for enhanced diagnostic accuracy and treatment planning.

Changing the game for organ transplantation

Licensable innovation: normothermic machine perfusion technology that keeps donor livers functioning outside the body prior to transplant.

Scaling quantum innovation

Licensable innovation: scalable trapped-ion quantum computing technology combining high-performance qubits with conventional silicon chips.

Giving patients a voice in their healthcare

Licensable innovation: a psychometrically-validated questionnaire used by patients to report function and pain before and after a knee replacement – supporting more consistent, patient-centred assessment of outcomes and helping to remove bias.

Driving a vision of autonomous vehicles

Licensable innovation: software that enables any vehicle to be self-driving, anywhere and at any time.

Advancing cell and gene therapies for 30 years

Licensable innovation: lentiviral vector technology, with over 340 GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) batches released and 25 successful regulatory submissions.

Transforming stroke recovery

Licensable innovation: first-line tools that assess cognitive change in stroke patients, quickly and effectively, while remaining sensitive to patients’ abilities.