What would success look like if Oxfordshire got climate innovation truly right, not just in ideas, but in deployment at scale?

In this Oxford+ bonus episode, Susannah de Jager speaks with Hannah Scott, CEO of Oxfordshire Greentech, about the practical barriers that stop climate tech startups moving from promise to global impact.

Hannah unpacks why scaling hardware and deep tech takes longer, costs more, and often hits the Valley of Death between Series A and Series B, where funding needs can jump dramatically. She argues the UK needs more patient capital, including family offices, and reflects on whether pension reform will genuinely shift investment towards British IP and industrial capability. That question has new urgency, with the government saying the Mansion House Accord could unlock up to £50bn for UK businesses and major infrastructure.

The conversation also looks forward: what Oxford might become by 2050, and how to weigh heritage, housing, equity, and innovation. Finally, Hannah frames AI as both opportunity and risk for net zero, and asks what it means to move forward more sensibly.

Hannah Scott: Hannah Scott is the CEO of Oxfordshire Greentech, a not-for-profit business network building a world-leading climate tech innovation ecosystem in Oxfordshire with impact beyond. She leads the organisation in managing and engaging members, connecting them with funding, customers, and business expertise whilst facilitating scale-up innovation through events, programmes and projects. Hannah is also Co-Founder of the Climate Tech SuperCluster, which showcases, develops and scales climate-critical technologies across the UK and Europe. She sits on the Oxford Economic Growth Steering Board and was named to edie's 30 Under 30 Class of 2023. Having helped launch Oxfordshire Greentech in 2019 whilst working for sustainability consultancy Bioregional, Hannah has now stepped into full-time leadership of the network and continues to deliver successful events, commercial opportunities and projects with climate and social impact.

Connect with Hannah Scott on LinkedIn or visit Oxfordshire Greentech

Susannah de Jager: Susannah is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in UK asset management. She has worked closely with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and government officials to shape the conversation around domestic scale-up capital.

Connect with Susannah on LinkedIn and Subscribe to the Oxford+ Newsletter for Exclusive Content

Oxford+ is hosted by Susannah de Jager and supported by Mishcon de Reya, HSBC Innovation Banking, and James Cowper Kreston.

Produced and Edited by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford.

How do you turn a county into a world-leading climate tech ecosystem, and why does collaboration matter more than competition when tackling the climate crisis?

In this episode of Oxford Plus, host Susannah de Jager speaks with Hannah Scott, CEO of Oxfordshire Greentech and Co-Founder of the Climate Tech SuperCluster, about building networks that connect climate innovators with the funding, expertise and corporate partnerships they need to scale. They explore how Oxfordshire has quietly become one of the UK's most important regions for climate innovation, with emerging specialisms in energy tech at Harwell, fusion at Culham and sustainable chemistry at Begbroke.

With the UK climate tech sector now valued at $75.3 billion but investment falling 67% since 2023, Hannah explains how business networks like Oxfordshire Greentech help startups leapfrog challenges, access visibility and navigate the valley of death. From the recent launch of a green ammonia demonstrator at Harwell to the formation of a cross-European climate tech supercluster spanning Amsterdam, London and Paris, this conversation reveals how local action can drive global climate impact.

Whether you're an entrepreneur looking for support, an investor seeking deal flow, or a corporate wanting to engage with cutting-edge climate solutions, this episode offers a practical roadmap for plugging into one of the UK's most dynamic innovation ecosystems.

• (00:00) - Welcome to Oxford Plus
• (03:01) - The Range of Climate Tech Innovation in Oxfordshire
• (05:21) - Geographic Reach Beyond Oxfordshire
• (08:31) - The Climate Tech SuperCluster
• (12:05) - Cross-Regional Collaboration with Cambridge Cleantech
• (16:30) - Day-to-Day Support for Members
• (24:48) - Key Events Throughout the Year
• (29:09) - Access to Finance Conference
• (31:00) - Networking Innovation and Speed Dating
• (33:55) - Climate Solutions Conference
• (35:06) - Connecting Startups with Local Government
• (38:34) - How Investors Can Engage
• (39:18) - The MIT Five-Stakeholder Model

Hannah Scott: Hannah Scott is the CEO of Oxfordshire Greentech, a not-for-profit business network building a world-leading climate tech innovation ecosystem in Oxfordshire with impact beyond. She leads the organisation in managing and engaging members, connecting them with funding, customers, and business expertise whilst facilitating scale-up innovation through events, programmes and projects. Hannah is also Co-Founder of the Climate Tech SuperCluster, which showcases, develops and scales climate-critical technologies across the UK and Europe. She sits on the Oxford Economic Growth Steering Board and was named to edie's 30 Under 30 Class of 2023. Having helped launch Oxfordshire Greentech in 2019 whilst working for sustainability consultancy Bioregional, Hannah has now stepped into full-time leadership of the network and continues to deliver successful events, commercial opportunities and projects with climate and social impact.

Connect with Hannah Scott on LinkedIn or visit Oxfordshire Greentech

Susannah de Jager: Susannah is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in UK asset management. She has worked closely with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and government officials to shape the conversation around domestic scale-up capital.

Connect with Susannah on LinkedIn and Subscribe to the Oxford+ Newsletter for Exclusive Content

Oxford+ is hosted by Susannah de Jager and supported by Mishcon de Reya, HSBC Innovation Banking, and James Cowper Kreston.

Produced and Edited by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford.

What would defence reform look like if we stopped overcomplicating it?

In this Oxford+ in brief episode, host Susannah de Jager asks Alison Hawks questions that reveal how leaders think under pressure, what shapes their decisions, and what they are curious about right now. Alison argues that defence needs to get out of its own way: procurement should be a clearer transaction where the military owns the problem, industry owns the solution, and requirements reflect that division of expertise. She shares practical advice for anyone entering the sector tomorrow, using the simple test of desirability, feasibility, and viability to avoid building solutions nobody will fund or use.

Looking ahead to 2050, Alison predicts a different defence marketplace where today’s primes may not dominate in the same way, even as scale still depends on major supply chains.

Dr Alison Hawks: Dr Alison Hawks is co-founder and CEO of BMNT Ltd, the UK arm of BMNT, where she advises governments and technology companies on accelerating adoption of commercial innovation in defence and national security. She also serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Common Mission Project UK, a charity delivering mission-driven entrepreneurial education programmes in the UK. She was named Woman of the Year for Innovation and Creativity at the Women in Defence Awards (2022).

Connect with Alison Hawks on LinkedIn / Visit BMNT Ltd

Susannah de Jager: Susannah is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in UK asset management. She has worked closely with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and government officials to shape the conversation around domestic scale-up capital.

Connect with Susannah on LinkedIn and Subscribe to the Oxford+ Newsletter for Exclusive Content

Oxford+ is hosted by Susannah de Jager and supported by Mishcon de Reya, HSBC Innovation Banking, and James Cowper Kreston.

Produced and Edited by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford.