Agratas, a subsidiary of Tata Group, India’s largest business conglomerate, has leased laboratory premises at Milton Park, the science, technology and business park cluster south of Oxford.
The scale-up business developing next-generation battery technologies – has signed nearly 23,000 sq ft of laboratory space in Science Vale UK – the cluster of innovation companies in Oxfordshire.
Property consultancy Vail Williams, with offices in Oxford, leased the premises within five months of being instructed to market the space.
Guy Parkes, Vail Williams’ Agency Partner for Oxford and Thames Valley, said: “This is one of the largest deals by square footage in the Oxford market this year.
“It underscores the importance for innovative businesses to be clustered around other research and development companies at Milton Park, which has become a focus for start-ups and scale-ups in the UK’s life sciences sector.
A spokesperson for Agratas said: “Our new facility at Milton Park, Oxford, is the foundation of our global R&D ecosystem, enabling us to accelerate innovation in battery technologies.
“This site demonstrates our commitment to delivering sustainable, high-performance solutions for the future. It also underlines the vital role of R&D in shaping Agratas’ future as a global leader in advanced battery solutions.”
Milton Park is home to over 250 companies, from start-ups to large corporates, employing 9,000-plus people.
Guy added: “ Whilst we have been embedded in the South East region for decades we only opened our office in Oxford at the beginning of the year, and it was for this very purpose of working more closely with scale-up businesses and Life Science companies across the ‘Science Vale’ – and helping promote a world-class cluster for research & development.”
Tom Booker, Commercial Manager at MEPC Milton Park, said: “We are pleased to welcome Agratas to our growing roster of cutting-edge businesses who form part of the UK’s largest science, business and technology community.
“Milton Park is firmly established as a leading hub for innovation, which actively supports occupiers seeking to scale up as their business demands grow.
“Agratas joins a growing cluster of innovative green energy occupiers who are supporting the Park in its 2040 Vision to become an innovation district where 20,000 people can collaborate and companies can grow sustainably.”
Lease details were not disclosed.
Agratas is a global battery business within the Tata Group that designs, develops and manufactures high-quality, high-performance, sustainable battery solutions for multiple applications to match customers’ requirements.
Derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Agra’, the world’s oldest language, its name stands for leadership and moving forward. Combined with ‘Gravitas’, it reflects an ambition to be purpose-driven, pioneering power for future generations.
The company is developing a new multi-billion-pound electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility or gigafactory on the Gravity Smart Campus near Bridgwater in Somerset.
The cell manufacturing facility is set to be the biggest battery facility in the country and by the early 2030s will contribute almost half of the projected battery manufacturing capacity required for the UK automotive sector.
Industrialisation at the Somerset site has started, with construction to be completed in phases, and battery production set to begin in 2026.
