The announcement was made by the Vice‑Chancellor, Professor Deborah Prentice, during a visit to Station F in Paris.

Pascal’s leadership will help ensure that our scientists and entrepreneurs have the environment, investment, and support they need to build companies that change the world.University of Cambridge Vice Chancellor, Professor Deborah Prentice

Cambridge University has appointed Pascal Levensohn as Chair of the Global Advisory Board for the Cambridge Innovation Hub, the flagship new initiative which seeks to transform the UK’s capacity to scale world‑leading deep tech and life sciences companies.

The announcement was made by the Vice‑Chancellor, Professor Deborah Prentice, during a visit to Station F in Paris. Station F hosts more than 1,000 early‑stage companies and provides a fully connected ecosystem of programmes, investors, corporates and support services to accelerate startup growth.

Welcoming the appointment, Vice‑Chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice said:
“The Innovation Hub strengthens Cambridge’s mission to translate outstanding research into real‑world impact. Pascal’s leadership will help ensure that our scientists and entrepreneurs have the environment, investment, and support they need to build companies that change the world.”

An innovation hub for the UK

The Cambridge Innovation Hub, backed by at least £15 million in government investment as part of the £800 million Oxford–Cambridge Growth Package, is proposed to become Europe’s premier destination for early‑stage science‑based companies.

The Hub will seek to provide:

• A dedicated home for deep tech and life sciences startups
• Shared laboratories, prototyping facilities, and collaboration spaces
• A central convening point for researchers, investors, corporates, and entrepreneurs
• Focus on Cambridge’s strengths and deliver growth of the IS8 sectors
• A nationally networked platform to accelerate research translation.

Cambridge is at the forefront of new science and technology. Soon to be home to the UK’s most powerful quantum computer at the Ray Dolby Centre, the city sits at the intersection of AI, quantum computing, life sciences, engineering and advanced materials. The Innovation Hub is designed to accelerate breakthroughs across these converging fields.

Speaking about his appointment, Pascal Levensohn said: “The UK is writing the biggest cheque in its history on innovation. As Chair of the Global Advisory Board, my mandate is to advise Cambridge University’s leadership on strategy and the implementation of best governance practices related to the Innovation Hub. Our objective is to scale a robust innovation ecosystem extending well beyond the University that will deliver not just financial returns, but returns for society.”

Why the Innovation Hub matters now

Cambridge is doubling down to meet the current pace and intensity of innovation. There is a need to capitalise on the rich pool of talent in the region at a time when the UK is moving decisively to expand its innovation capacity. Recent government commitments include:

• £2 billion for quantum technologies
• £500 million for the Sovereign AI initiative
• £800 million for the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor

This national investment aligns with the rapid rise of the Cambridge ecosystem, which has grown 80% in the past decade, with startups raising £7.9 billion since 2015 and attracting nearly 40% international investor participation.

An asset designed for the Oxford–Cambridge Corridor

The UK’s competitive advantage lies in the research‑to‑growth corridor between Oxford and Cambridge. An Innovation Hub is proposed to amplify this advantage by providing a single, interconnected platform for scaling science and deep tech‑based companies. As Pascal Levensohn explained:

“The UK doesn’t need a single centre of gravity — it needs an interconnected system, an Innovation Hub which exists in the Oxford–Cambridge corridor. The Cambridge Innovation Hub Global Advisory Board exists to serve Cambridge University’s leadership and the UK’s broader national innovation initiative; to magnify the distinctive position of the UK’s top research universities as the world’s leading research‑to‑commercialisation cluster.”

With Innovate UK shifting toward high‑conviction investment and the £500 million Sovereign AI Fund launching on 16 April, the UK is entering a new era of strategic public investment. The Innovation Hub will play a central role in ensuring that this investment is matched with world‑class governance.

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source: cam.ac.uk