Oxford hosts TenU International Annual Meeting on ‘Enabling growth’

Oxford University Innovation (OUI) is proud to host the 2026 TenU International Annual Meeting, welcoming leaders from universities, government, investment, and industry to Oxford as part of OUI’s presidency of TenU for 2026.

Centred on the theme of ‘Enabling growth’, the meeting will bring together TenU members and invited guests from across the international innovation community to explore how universities and their partners can help build strong, connected ecosystems that support innovation-led growth and long-term economic impact.

Over two days, participants will share international perspectives and practical experience on the role of investment, talent, infrastructure, partnerships, and place in helping innovation thrive. The programme reflects growing recognition across the sector that successful innovation depends not only on excellent research, but also on the wider environments in which ideas, companies, and collaborations develop.

As governments increasingly look to universities as engines of growth and anchors of regional development, greater attention is being paid to the conditions that help innovation ecosystems succeed. Strong ecosystems attract talent, support company formation and scale-up, strengthen regional economies, and create long-term societal and economic value.

Oxford provides a fitting setting for these conversations. The programme will showcase different aspects of the region’s innovation landscape, highlighting approaches to investment, entrepreneurial talent, infrastructure development, and local government engagement across Oxfordshire and the wider region.

This includes initiatives such as Equinox, which brings together universities, industry, investors, communities, and government to support innovation-led growth across Oxfordshire. OUI is proud to be a founding signatory of the Equinox Charter, a shared commitment to building a more inclusive and connected innovation ecosystem for Oxford. The programme will also highlight the work of the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), a multidisciplinary research and innovation organisation developing scalable solutions to global challenges through its partnership with the University of Oxford.

Sessions during the meeting will include perspectives from organisations across the innovation landscape, including representatives from the Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Their participation reflects the growing importance of university innovation and commercialisation within wider discussions around growth, investment, competitiveness, and regional development.

This year’s discussions also reflect a broader evolution in TenU’s work. Alongside initiatives such as the USIT Guides and the upcoming Proof-of-Concept Guide, which help strengthen the ‘rules of the game’ for university innovation, the meeting will focus on the ‘playing field’ itself: the ecosystems, networks, and relationships that help innovation flourish over the long term.

At a time of significant change across global research and innovation systems, the meeting provides an opportunity to strengthen connections across the international technology transfer and innovation community, share ideas and learning, and explore how collaboration can help shape the next phase of innovation-led growth.

Find out more about TenU on their website.