Oxford-Cambridge Arc

The Oxford-Cambridge Arc is a notional arc of agricultural and urban land at about 75km (about 50 miles) radius of London, southern England. It runs between the two English university towns of Oxford and Cambridge via Milton Keynes and other important settlements in Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, at the northern rim of the London commuter belt. It is significant only in economic geography, with little physical geography in common.

The Oxford to Cambridge (O2C) Arc initiative was launched in 2003 by three English regional development agencies (RDAs), EEDA, EMDA and SEEDA. The aim of the initiative is to promote and accelerate the development of the unique set of educational, research and business assets and activities that characterise the area and in doing so, create an “arc” of innovation and entrepreneurial activity that would, in time, be ‘best in the field'. Indeed, the supporting RDAs have stated that they wish to see the O2C Arc evolve into Europe's premier knowledge-based economy with aspirations to be world-leading.