Ellison Institute of Technology

Ellison Institute of Technology announces new Oxford campus

  • The Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT) Mission Statement: Develop and deploy technology in pursuit of solving four of humanity’s most challenging and enduring problems.
  • EIT’s Humane Endeavours: Focuses on four areas of technological innovation—Medical Science and Healthcare, Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture, Clean Energy and Climate Change, and Government Policy and Economics.
  • EIT Faculty of Fellows: A distinguished group of world leaders, scientists and entrepreneurs that define and manage large, complex engineering projects in pursuit of solving humanity’s problems.
  • Ellison Scholars Programme Mission Statement: A unique student scholarship programme with the University of Oxford designed to find and fund the next generation of technical entrepreneurs and political leaders and accelerate their journey to positively impact humanity.
  • EIT History: EIT is an established healthcare innovator founded by Larry Ellison and Dr. David Agus in Los Angeles eight years ago under the name The Ellison Institute of Transformative Medicine.

Oxford, 12 October 2023

The Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT) today announced the construction of an Oxford Campus designed by world-renowned architect Norman Foster. This new interdisciplinary research and development facility will bring together innovative thinkers from around the world to support EIT’s primary mission of solving four of humanity’s most challenging and enduring problems.

EIT was established eight years ago as a research and development centre for cancer, healthcare and global public health. Founded in Los Angeles by Larry Ellison and Dr David Agus under the name The Ellison Institute of Transformative Medicine, EIT will now broaden its mission to focus on four key areas of scientific and technological innovation including: medical science and healthcare, food security and sustainable agriculture, clean energy and climate change, and government policy and economics.

EIT will be guided by a Faculty of Fellows made up of world leaders, scientists and entrepreneurs. Work in EIT’s four key innovation areas, known as humane endeavours, will be led by these individuals and supported by their vast knowledge and experience in the global arena. The EIT Faculty will be led by:

  • Dr David Agus, EIT Founding Director and CEO and entrepreneur
  • Professor Sir John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine at the University of Oxford
  • Tony Blair, Former UK PM and Executive Chairman of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI)

Dr. David Agus, EIT Founding Director and CEO, said:

“With the expansion of our interdisciplinary team of researchers, scientists, physicians and innovators across two continents, the Ellison Institute of Technology is reaffirming our mission of improving human lives through innovation and collaboration. The addition of our Faculty of Fellows and their decades of experience in the global arena will further help guide and advance EIT’s work to ensure we succeed in creating a positive, lasting impact on humanity by applying technology on a worldwide scale.”

Larry Ellison, Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Oracle and EIT Faculty, said:

“The next generation of political and entrepreneurial leaders will inhabit a world being continuously transformed by technological advancement. Progress in artificial intelligence, genetics, robotics and data science will fundamentally transform a majority of our economy and change the way we live, work and govern ourselves. Managing these technological and economic changes for the benefit of humankind is essential to the development of a more just, equal, healthy and peaceful society. The Ellison Institute of Technology will focus its work on finding technological solutions for some of humanity’s most challenging problems, and preparing the next generation of leaders and innovators to share and apply these advancements around the world.”

EIT’s Oxford Campus bridges The Oxford Science Park and Littlemore. Once complete, the state-of-the-art facility will incorporate more than 30,000m2 of research laboratory space, an oncology and wellness patient clinic and educational and gathering spaces to support ongoing work and collaboration in EIT’s innovation areas. The facility’s location will further EIT’s current partnerships in the Oxford biotech and technology communities; expand work and research collaborations with the University of Oxford; and help to support the launch of the new Ellison Scholars programme, aimed at finding and funding the next great global innovators and accelerating their journey to positive impact for humanity.

Tony Blair, former UK Prime Minister and Executive Chairman of TBI, said:

“The Ellison Institute for Technology, with innovation at its heart, will push the boundaries of invention and, together with the Ellison Scholars programme, will find and fund the best young minds from the UK and around the world. The Oxford facility will be an enormous boost to the growth of the UK’s technology sector and will further the advancement and ambition of using science and technology to improve the lives of citizens globally. It will also help inform the work TBI is doing with government leaders around the world and, in particular, I look forward to working with the Scholars on how we use the potential of technology to reimagine the state and make government work more effectively.”

The Ellison Scholars programme will recruit approximately twenty students each year, with the first cohort starting in 2025. Each student will receive a full scholarship for study at the University of Oxford as well as an unparalleled opportunity to be guided and mentored by the world leaders and scientists of the EIT Faculty. The Faculty and Scholars will work collaboratively on projects in EIT’s humane endeavours and help solve problems important to humanity, while furthering EIT’s mission of educating the next generation of innovators and leaders. Admission into the programme is dependent upon a successful application to the University through their admissions process, followed by selection by EIT’s Faculty of Fellows for the scholarship.

Professor Irene Tracey, University of Oxford Vice-Chancellor, said:

“Our University has a long-standing tradition of bringing together great minds, fostering innovation, entrepreneurial spirit and harnessing technology to solve global problems – not least in recent years during the Covid pandemic and now with our malaria vaccine. The creation of an Ellison Institute of Technology campus in Oxford chimes with that tradition and we welcome their arrival enormously. The launch of the ambitious Ellison Scholars programme is also hugely exciting. We look forward to working with the Scholars team to support and educate the next generation of thought-leaders so they are ready to take on the world’s challenges.”

Professor Sir John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine at the University of Oxford and EIT Faculty, said:

“This is a remarkable new initiative that will contribute to solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges. Locating this in Oxford will provide exceptional opportunities to attract some of the best minds in the world to the project, both as students and faculty. I am confident that in this collaborative environment, it will make a substantial impact in dealing with some of the biggest issues of our day. Oxford already has deep expertise in many of the areas of focus such as global health, fusion and battery technology and global governance, but the Ellison Institute of Technology will add considerably to the capabilities in these and other areas. I am personally very excited about what can be achieved with this exciting endeavour.”

The Ellison Scholars programme will officially open for applications in March 2024, with the first cohort of Scholars beginning their studies at the University of Oxford in October 2025.

EIT’s Oxford Campus is set for completion in 2026. Alongside the flagship facility in Los Angeles, California, the upcoming Oxford Campus will be the second in a planned series of globally connected research campuses for the Institute.