Two key appointments for new multi-million Oxford North district

Simon Ruck has been named managing director and Kevin Reid the energy and engineering manager at the new £700 million innovation district in Oxford ahead of its opening in mid-2025.

Oxford North is poised to deliver one million sq ft of new labs and workspace, 480 new homes, public parks and amenities, and sits just a 15-minute cycle ride from the city centre. Phase 1a is already under construction and totals 160,000 sq ft across three buildings.

READ MORE: Oxford North tops out Red Hall and first lab buildings

Oxford North Ventures is a joint venture between Thomas White Oxford, the development company of St John’s College, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and Stanhope.

Ruck has extensive experience and joins from Brookfield-owned Advanced Research Clusters (ARC) where he was director of asset management at Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire.

Before that, he was was vice president of asset management at Brookfield Office Properties and development director at Brookfield Developments.

Reid joins from EMCOR UK where he worked at the Riverlabs Campus and GSK Campus in Ware. Before that, he worked for CBRE, Baltimore FM and Jaguar Building Services.

"We warmly welcome Simon and Kevin to Oxford North. Simon’s exceptional experience in delivering estate, operations and asset management, particularly in the life sciences and biotech space will mean that our future companies will benefit from his extensive expertise." said David Camp, chief executive officer of Stanhope.

"Kevin’s impressive track record has meant that he is able to start working closely with our consultant team and construction partners to ensure we are creating a low carbon innovation district, following a net zero carbon pathway, to reduce the carbon footprint for our future occupiers," he added.

"We will continue to expand the on-site team as we head towards opening this globally significant new place for Oxford."

At the project, the so-called Red Hall will house a café, co-working and break-out spaces, community and presentation space, and incubation and grow-on office space.

Meanwhile, 1 & 2 Fallaize Street, will be the first two laboratory and office buildings. Works have recently started on Fallaize Park and the market square.

Oxford North is aimed at connecting academia and commerce, invention and investment, providing a sustainable place to work, live, learn and socialise.

It will blend culture with low carbon innovation, sustainability with leisure, and open spaces with science.