TenU Convenes Global Innovation Leaders in Oxford for 2026 Annual Meeting

TenU is delighted to welcome leaders from universities, government, investment, and industry to Oxford for its 2026 International Annual Meeting, hosted this year by Oxford University Innovation.

Centred on the theme of ‘Enabling growth’, the meeting brings together TenU members and invited guests from across the international innovation community to explore how universities and their partners can help build strong, connected ecosystems that support innovation-led growth and long-term economic impact.

Over two days, participants will exchange international perspectives and practical experience on the role of investment, talent, infrastructure, partnerships, and place in helping innovation to thrive. The programme reflects a growing recognition across the sector that successful innovation depends not only on excellent research, but also on the strength of the wider environments in which ideas, companies, and collaborations develop.

This year’s discussions also reflect a broader evolution in TenU’s work. Alongside initiatives such as the USIT Guides and the upcoming Proof-of-Concept Guide, which help strengthen the ‘rules of the game’ for university innovation, the meeting will focus on the ‘playing field’ itself: the ecosystems, networks, and relationships that help innovation flourish over the long term.

As governments increasingly look to universities as engines of growth, anchors of regional development, and partners in delivering innovation-led economic strategy, attention is turning to the conditions that help innovation ecosystems succeed. Strong ecosystems help attract talent, support company formation and scale-up, strengthen regional economies, and generate long-term societal and economic value.

Oxford provides a particularly fitting setting for these conversations. The programme will showcase different aspects of the region’s innovation landscape, highlighting approaches to investment, entrepreneurial talent, infrastructure development, and local government relations across the wider region.

This includes initiatives such as Equinox, which brings together universities, industry, investors, communities, and government to support innovation-led growth across Oxfordshire, and the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), a multidisciplinary research and innovation organisation focused on developing scalable solutions to global challenges through its partnership with the University of Oxford.

Sessions during the meeting will include perspectives from organisations across the innovation landscape, including representatives from the Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Their participation reflects the growing importance of university innovation and commercialisation within wider discussions around growth, investment, competitiveness, and regional development.

At a time of significant change across global research and innovation systems, the meeting provides an opportunity to strengthen connections across the international technology transfer community, share ideas and learnings, and explore how collaboration can help shape the next phase of innovation-led growth.