Greyarc Investments Ltd has announced plans to refurbish and extend Building 2700, the former Oxfam headquarters on John Smith Drive at Oxford Business Park, into OxBio Hub – a self-contained innovation campus designed for the science and technology sector.
The company purchased the site in 2024 and has submitted a detailed planning application to Oxford City Council. If approved, the project is expected to generate significant job opportunities, strengthening Oxford’s innovation ecosystem and contributing to long-term economic growth.
The redeveloped building will be CL2 lab-ready, with flexible layouts ranging from 4,000 to 88,324 sq.ft, enabling occupiers to adapt spaces to their needs. Sustainability sits at the core of the scheme, which is targeting BREEAM Very Good and EPC B ratings.
Plans include upgraded M&E infrastructure, solar panels, EV charging points, energy-efficient systems and landscaped areas designed to promote biodiversity.
Tenants will also have access to a wide range of amenities such as a gym, café, auditorium, cycle storage, meeting rooms and reimagined communal areas, alongside secure access, parking and internal and external breakout spaces to encourage collaboration and wellbeing.
Strategically located near the Oxford Ring Road with close links to the city’s world-leading research hospitals, university colleges and talent pool, OxBio Hub has been conceived as a catalyst for convergence, bringing together scientific disciplines and emerging technologies to spark innovation.
The development will also provide grow-on space for university spin-outs and relocation opportunities for businesses wishing to remain within central Oxford.
Angus Bates, Director of Greyarc Investments and owner of OxBio Hub, said:
“We are excited to commence the full refurbishment project, capturing already embodied building carbon in a truly sustainable scheme that will bring OxBio Hub to life, offering companies space from 4,000 sq.ft to 88,000 sq.ft.
“We recognise the increasing convergence between sciences and technologies, with machine learning and AI as central catalysts. Our location on Oxford Ring Road, close to universities and incubators like the BioEscalator, enables us to provide world-class space tailored to diverse sciences and deep tech.
“We also understand the importance of community and will be investing heavily to support the companies that choose us, ensuring they are part of a thriving, connected environment. Our vision is to empower innovators across disciplines to connect, collaborate and deliver breakthroughs that will shape the future.”
