Larry Ellison, the billionaire founder of Oracle, is deepening his commitment to Britain’s innovation economy with an additional £890 million investment in the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), dramatically expanding its footprint at Oxford Science Park.
The move comes as the 81-year-old tycoon faces scrutiny over the institute’s leadership and direction following a year of internal upheaval. Yet the fresh capital injection underlines Ellison’s determination to anchor a world-leading hub for AI, health, and climate research in the UK.
The expanded development — designed by renowned architect Norman Foster — will cover 2 million square feet, up from initial plans of 300,000 sq ft announced in 2023. The site will accommodate as many as 7,000 scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs, making it one of Europe’s largest private R&D campuses.
Ellison’s stated ambition is to tackle some of the world’s most “enduring and challenging problems,” including food security, global health and environmental sustainability. The scale of the project — now valued at close to £1 billion — aligns with the UK government’s strategy to make life sciences and technology central pillars of post-pandemic growth.
The institute has forged close ties with Sir Tony Blair, a long-time ally of Ellison’s, and senior Whitehall officials. Sources close to the discussions describe the project as a cornerstone in the UK’s bid to attract “mission-led” global research investment.
In an interview with The Times, Professor Santa Ono, who became Global President of the Ellison Institute in August, described the initiative as “the most exciting investment in research and innovation anywhere in the world.”
“A research enterprise of this size will have spin-offs, licensing deals and start-ups worth billions,” he said. “When you aggregate the activity of thousands of people living and working there, the economic impact is measured in billions, not millions.”
The renewed investment follows a turbulent year at the institute, which has faced allegations of high staff turnover, poor management culture, and operational delays.
Concerns reported by insiders include “cumbersome” HR processes, “cavalier” hiring practices and tension between academic and commercial priorities. The most high-profile departure came in September, when Professor Sir John Bell, one of Britain’s leading life sciences figures, resigned as institute president.
In his resignation statement, Bell said: “It has been a very challenging project as no one has attempted to create such a vehicle for sustainable innovation before. I think we have done a very good job in identifying programs and bringing in the best scientists to tackle them.”
Ono and Lisa Flashner, EIT’s Chief Operating Officer and a former executive of the Ellison Medical Institute in Los Angeles, have sought to stabilise the organisation and reaffirm its commercial focus.
Flashner, who recently relocated to Oxford, acknowledged that “rapid growth inevitably brings friction,” but said the team was united around delivering “a culture of innovation and respect.”
“It’s natural to have some people who love the place and others who find the pace of change difficult,” she said. “Our focus now is to build a thriving organisation that delivers lasting impact.”
Ono added that Ellison’s leadership style — often described as intense and uncompromising — was part of what made the project ambitious.
“Larry expects people to be focused and dedicated. That expectation is appropriate. He remains deeply committed to delivering a commercial impact soon.”
The expanded Oxford campus marks one of the largest private investments in UK science in recent years, with construction expected to begin in 2026.
Government officials believe the project could anchor a new wave of spin-out companies, mirroring the success of Cambridge’s biomedical cluster and strengthening Oxford’s role as a global centre for deep tech and health innovation.
For Ellison, who has long admired the British university model, the institute represents both a philanthropic legacy and a commercial bet on the future of applied science.
“This is not just a campus,” one adviser said. “It’s Ellison’s moonshot for human progress — and it’s happening in Oxford.”
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Larry Ellison commits extra £890m to Oxford science institute amid leadership turmoil