A science campus being developed on the outskirts of Oxford is set to receive an additional £890 million investment from one of the world’s richest men.

Larry Ellison, founder of software giant Oracle, has agreed to fund an expansion of the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT) site from the planned 300,000 square feet to 2 million square feet.

It will provide laboratory and office space for up to 7,000 employees with the aims of fostering collaboration and commercialising research.  

Ellison, who briefly overtook Elon Musk to become the richest person in the world last month, initially invested £1 billion in the campus being built on the Oxford Science Park in Littlemore.

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EIT said the extra capacity was needed “due to its growing ambitions and the overwhelming support received from the Oxford science ecosystem”.

It comes after former University of Michigan leader Santa Ono was appointed global president of EIT after his aborted attempt to take over as president of the University of Florida.

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John Bell, former Regius professor of medicine at the University of Oxford, stepped down as EIT president last month.

Ono said in a statement that the additional investment “is a sign of EIT’s commitment to Littlemore as a home for ambitious ground-breaking science”.

“As EIT’s new president, I’m looking forward to watching our campus develop and grow over the next few years. We want to build a community of talented scientists who will work in an environment specially designed to encourage great ideas to flourish.”

The campus, designed by architects Foster + Partners, is set to open in 2027. Additional land to the west of the park has been purchased for the expansion.

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EIT said it will now focus its work on “four humane endeavours” – health, medical science and generative biology; food security and sustainable agriculture; climate change and managing atmospheric CO₂ and AI and robotics.

Last year, the University of Oxford announced it had entered what it called a “long-term strategic alliance” with Ellison’s foundation ahead of the campus opening, with the tycoon providing £100 million worth of investment in joint research programmes and scholarships.

Lisa Flashner, chief operating officer of EIT, said: “In addition to delivering a substantial contribution to the local economy, we aim for this expanded campus to set a new benchmark in innovation and design.

“In close collaboration with Foster + Partners, we have carefully refined every element to create a state-of-the-art campus that promotes collaboration across research disciplines and provides our employees with exceptional spaces that enhance their daily experience.”

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tom.williams@timeshighereducation.com