John Boyle and his company, Oxford Computer Consultants (OCC), are an Oxford Trust success story! John and Kaz Librowski co-founded OCC in 1989 in humble surroundings – a portacabin on the site of an old meat-packing factory on Osney Mead.
That portacabin was, in fact, The Oxford Trust’s Science and Technology Enterprise Project or STEP Centre – one of first innovation centres in the UK, and definitely the first in Oxfordshire. It laid the foundations of the successful science economy we see in Oxfordshire today.
Opened by the Trust in 1986, the aptly-named STEP Centre provided ten “starter” units for young innovation businesses who needed affordable, flexible premises in Oxford within easy reach of the University. Under the protective umbrella of the STEP Centre, novice entrepreneurs, like OCC, had access to secretarial support, business advice and a network of influential contacts. In the first five years, sixteen companies graduated from the STEP Centre – one of which was OCC.
With the vital support of the Trust’s first CEO Paul Bradstock and his team, OCC won large contracts in 1992 from General Electric and the European Commission and never looked back. The company has grown consistently by 15–20 per cent each year and now employs over 100 people and operates right across Europe.
Oxford Computer Consultants is a software company that designs and develops custom software in health, science and engineering. Their local government product – OCC Marketplace – is part of a suite of applications for local government and underpins the provision of social services at over 70 councils including Oxfordshire. The company has also contributed towards research into wearable home-monitoring systems for people with neuro-generative diseases, such as Parkinson’s. It has also developed “GLOIN”, a predictive tool for thermal stress on buried cables, for National Grid’s engineers and planners. One of OCC’s latest projects is Ami: a “tech for good” project that OCC funds and that’s just received funding from Nominet Trust, the UK’s leading social tech funder. It’s a new initiative that aims to reduce loneliness and social isolation, as well as the health risks that accompany them. Currently piloting in Oxfordshire, Ami links lonely, isolated people to those with time to spare and the desire to help.
John Boyle says: “I personally feel my scientific career has been a great privilege and owe an enormous debt to the support of The Oxford Trust.” The story has now come full circle, as John is now the wonderful and enthusiastic chairman of our Board.