What does this mean for innovators?
Darren: The Accelerator is really about creating a focal point. There will be a physical space where founders can come together, connect with each other and access support to help drive their businesses forward.
Whether someone is validating an idea, raising finance or trying to access a supply chain, they’ll be able to tap into support through the Accelerator.
What excites me most is that founders in Oxford won’t just be connecting locally. They'll also be connected into the wider NatWest Accelerator network across the UK.
Olga: I’ve spent the last 20 years helping businesses grow and my takeaway is always that it takes a village.
Innovation ecosystems are complex, and founders need focal points that help them navigate the complexities of getting the right support at the right time. The NatWest Accelerator will become an important part of that ecosystem, helping people access the support, expertise and networks they need.
Why do strong partnerships and innovation ecosystems matter?
Olga: The UK is brilliant at starting companies. What we’re still trying to solve is how we help more of them scale.
No single organisation can do that alone. You need collaboration between academia, government, industry and corporate partners.
And we shouldn't think about this as Oxford competing with Cambridge or Manchester – we’re all competing together as UK PLC. That's why collaboration matters so much.
Darren: The UK has all the ingredients. Universities create ideas, attract talent and generate the intellectual capital that fuels innovation.
But ideas alone aren’t enough. You also need access to finance, connectivity, commercial expertise and practical support.
We say this all the time but it’s such an important point – innovation ecosystems work when ideas, talent, capital and ambition all come together in one place. When that happens, you attract more investment, more expertise and more businesses. That’s how places build momentum and create real economic growth.
How can public - private partnerships like this help drive future growth, both for innovators and the wider UK economy?
Darren: I think the opportunity is much bigger than any one business or one ecosystem. Partnerships like this bring together the ingredients that help innovation-led businesses succeed, whether that’s expertise, networks, investment or support.
When organisations come together, we create more success stories and show people what’s possible. We want more innovators to see the opportunities available to them, and we want people from outside the UK to see this as a fantastic place to start and grow a business.
That’s what will inspire confidence and help drive growth across the UK. And to Olga’s point, this is about the UK showing up as a whole – individual cities and regions will have their strengths and focus areas that can act as the catalyst for local growth, but when that happens everywhere the whole of the UK benefits.
Olga: The other important thing to note is that innovation ecosystems don't exist in isolation. When founders are given the right support to scale, they often grow into other regions and we see that successful models get replicated elsewhere.
As Darren says, when we create something successful locally, the benefits spread much more widely. That's how strong regional ecosystems can contribute to economic growth across the whole of the UK.
Darren Pirie is Head of NatWest Accelerator
Dr Olga Kozlova is Director of Innovation and Engagement at Oxford University
