French trip highlighting the power of partnership for innovation with Ox-Cam, Manchester and Station F.

“I believe we have a genuine opportunity to help drive the next industrial revolution for the UK. That means engaging confidently in global conversations about what world‑class innovation infrastructure looks like.”University of Cambridge Vice Chancellor, Professor Deborah Prentice

University of Cambridge Vice-Chancellor, Professor Deborah Prentice, recently returned from a trip to France, where Cambridge was cementing partnerships across the Channel with French innovators.

Organised by the OxCam Supercluster, the visit showcased Cambridge’s growing UK and international research and innovation partnerships, especially with Ox-Cam, Manchester, and Station F. Cambridge was part of a wider UK delegation that included academic leaders, industry partners, and investors from across the Ox-Cam corridor and Manchester.

Cross-Channel innovation

At Station F on 7 April, Roxanne Varza, Director of Station F, who hosted innovation leaders, discussed how to further enhance international and national collaboration.

The Vice-Chancellor addressed attendees: “For us, this kind of cross‑Channel learning really matters, and it’s inspiring to be here with colleagues from Oxford and Manchester Universities and many other partners and friends who share a commitment to creating meaningful impact through excellence. Innovation doesn’t stop at internal or external borders, and neither should the systems that support it.” She continued, “I believe we have a genuine opportunity to help drive the next industrial revolution for the UK. That means engaging confidently in global conversations about what world‑class innovation infrastructure looks like.”

At the same event, the Vice Chancellor announced Pascal Levensohn as Chair of the Cambridge Innovation Hub Global Advisory Board, explaining: “The Cambridge Innovation Hub is the centrepiece of this renewed focus on partnership: a way to seize the opportunities we know are there, together.”

The vital importance of national and international partnerships

At a visit to the UK Embassy in Paris for a reception later the same day, hosted by His Excellency the UK Ambassador to France, Sir Thomas Drew, the Vice-Chancellor spoke about the exchange of ideas between Station F and the Cambridge Innovation ecosystem, including joint initiatives such as the Entente CordIAle artificial intelligence initiative between Paris Saclay Oxford and Cambridge signed last year, and the renewed flow of people and talent between countries.

In a speech to attendees, the Vice-Chancellor described the special relationship between France and the United Kingdom, highlighting the collaborative relationship.

The Vice-Chancellor also spoke about the strength of the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor, adding how: “Cambridge and Oxford are two of the most innovation‑intensive ecosystems anywhere in the world – highly concentrated, mutually complementary, and at a scale where strategic connection across the corridor becomes a competitive advantage.” The corridor hosts over 8,000 high‑tech firms, 2,500 start-ups and more than 500 spin‑outs, generating tens of billions for the UK economy every year.

The Vice-Chancellor also signalled the importance of the Manchester-Cambridge partnership, with the University of Manchester Vice-Chancellor, Professor Duncan Ivison, joining the delegation to further strengthen pan-regional innovation partnerships across the UK.

Innovation accelerating in Cambridge

This trip comes at a time when both the pace and intensity of innovation in and around Cambridge have accelerated dramatically. In the past month, Cambridge has announced major new investments in quantum and AI – including the IonQ Quantum Innovation Centre and a significant expansion of national AI supercomputing capacity. Cambridge companies are scaling at an incredible rate. Quantinuum’s $10 billion valuation and multiple Cambridge ventures raising over $100 million illustrate the strength of momentum. This month, Cambridge also announced the creation of the Rokos School of Government – a new school designed to place science and innovation at the very centre of how future leaders are educated.

Hackathon

The visit concluded with a trip, on 8 April, with Christine Neau-Leduc, the Présidente of the Sorbonne-Panthéon, to attend part of a hackathon organised by the Entente Cordiale. Cambridge students were delighted to win the top Entente Cordiale Prize this year, and won 3 of the top 5 Prizes. All the laureates will have the opportunity to present their reports to Buckingham Palace in June.

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source: cam.ac.uk