Oxford, UK: Few leaders get to come back to the building they built. Matt Francis has returned to The Oxford Trust as chief executive officer, succeeding Steve Burgess, who retires after 13 years at the helm. Francis joins from Oxford Innovation Space, where he was head of science and technology, and spent almost a decade with the charity before, including five years in senior leadership as director of operations and enterprise, and project director.
His return coincides with a growth moment for the Trust. The Aspen Building at the Wood Centre for Innovation in Headington has just opened, and the Oxford Centre for Innovation moved to new city-centre premises in May 2025. Francis previously led delivery of the €15.2m Wood Centre, home to the Trust's work with start-up science and technology businesses and to Science Oxford, the UK's first indoor-outdoor hands-on science education centre. "We are delighted to welcome Matt back to The Oxford Trust as our new CEO. He brings a rare combination of leadership experience, a deep knowledge of the organisation and strong understanding of Oxford's science and innovation community and ecosystem," said John Boyle, chair of trustees.
The Trust's business model is what real estate readers should study. Its two innovation centres provide flexible, cost-effective office, technical workspace, R&D labs and co-working space to science and tech start-ups and spinouts, and the income is reinvested in STEM education through Science Oxford. The two centres now house more than 43 organisations; alumni include Perspectum Diagnostics, Ultromics, Infleqtion and Optellum, and the Science Oxford programme reached over 30,000 children and young people in the 2024 to 2025 academic year. What the announcement does not address is capacity. With Aspen now open, how quickly does new lab and flexible space fill, and can a charity-led model keep pace with spinout demand in the Headington Science Cluster? Developers and investors eyeing life science space in Oxford should watch that absorption closely.
"It is a tremendous privilege to return to The Oxford Trust as CEO. For more than 40 years, the Trust has connected two vital ambitions: helping entrepreneurs turn new technologies into successful businesses and giving young people the chance to discover and engage with science," said Francis. "Oxford's science and technology sector continues to thrive, with an impact that reaches far beyond the region, and the Trust has an important role to play in its continued success. I want us to help more science and technology companies develop and succeed, enabling their ideas and innovations to improve people's lives, while showing more young people inspiring, hands-on experiences of science through Science Oxford."
Burgess leaves a solid base, having overseen the expansion of the Trust's innovation activities, the development of the Wood Centre and Science Oxford Centre, and the Aspen Building. The Trust was founded in 1985 by the late Sir Martin Wood and Lady Audrey Wood, co-founders of Oxford Instruments, the University of Oxford's first spinout company.
People mentioned
- Matt Francis, Chief Executive Officer, The Oxford Trust
- Steve Burgess, former Chief Executive Officer, The Oxford Trust (retiring after 13 years)
- John Boyle, Chair of Trustees, The Oxford Trust
- Sir Martin Wood, late co-founder, The Oxford Trust and Oxford Instruments
- Lady Audrey Wood, co-founder, The Oxford Trust and Oxford Instruments
Image source: Matt Francis, courtesy of The Oxford Trust
Companies and organisations mentioned
- The Oxford Trust, charity running the Wood Centre for Innovation and Oxford Centre for Innovation
- Science Oxford, the Trust's STEM education and engagement programme
- Oxford Innovation Space, Francis's previous employer
- Oxford Instruments, company co-founded by Sir Martin and Lady Audrey Wood
- Perspectum Diagnostics, Trust alumni company
- Ultromics, Trust alumni company
- Infleqtion, Trust alumni company
- Optellum, Trust alumni company
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