Oxford STEM Network: Connecting Oxfordshire’s Tech and Engineering Community

Oxford STEM Network: Connecting Oxfordshire’s Tech and Engineering Community

I spend a lot of time at technology events around Oxfordshire, but Tuesday was my first trip over to the Oxford STEM Network in Wantage.

After a drive through what felt like most of Oxfordshire’s villages, I arrived at Boston House on Grove Business Park, ready to meet some new people and catch up with a few familiar faces.

Su Copeland, founder of the Oxford STEM Network and CEO of Priddey Marketing, was there to greet everyone, along with a fantastic spread of hot and cold drinks and snacks.

What struck me more than the refreshments was how relaxed the room felt.

Networking events can sometimes feel a little forced. You walk into a room, put your name badge on and suddenly feel as though you need to launch into a perfectly rehearsed explanation of who you are and what you do.

This felt different.

There was no hard sell and no awkward pitching. People were genuinely asking each other what they were working on, where they were stuck and who they might be able to introduce them to.

What makes Oxfordshire’s STEM sector work

Working in technology recruitment gives us quite an interesting view of what is happening across Oxfordshire.

At Humand Talent, we work with businesses ranging from early stage Oxford University spinouts and start ups through to established technology companies and much larger organisations.

For a relatively small county, Oxfordshire has businesses working across software, AI, life sciences, deep tech, space, energy, advanced engineering and manufacturing. There is a huge amount being built here, often by companies that people living a few miles away will never have heard of.

The technology might be brilliant, but companies still need people. Founders need advice. Growing businesses need funding, marketing, legal support, leadership and commercial expertise.

Sometimes they just need an introduction to the right person.

That is where groups such as the Oxford STEM Network come in.

Getting Oxfordshire businesses talking

The Oxford STEM Network brings together people working across science, technology, engineering, mathematics and manufacturing, as well as people who work closely with businesses in those sectors.

The focus is clearly on relationships rather than selling.

Getting people into the same room means you actually hear what other businesses are working on, what they need and where you might be able to help.

One conversation might turn into a client relationship. Another might lead to a hire, an introduction or simply a useful bit of advice.

Quite often you do not realise the value of the conversation until much later.

For a county with so many start ups, university spinouts, technology businesses and specialist engineering companies, having places where those conversations can happen matters.

Why it matters to us at Humand Talent

Events like this also say a lot about how recruitment should work.

Our job at Humand Talent is obviously to help technology and engineering businesses hire.

But to do that properly, we need to understand the community we work in.

We need to know what businesses are building, where they are growing, the challenges founders and leadership teams are facing and where skills are becoming harder to find.

You learn a huge amount of that by getting away from LinkedIn and email for a few hours and actually talking to people.

Knowing the community properly also helps us make better introductions.

That might be introducing a business to someone we know, connecting two people who could help each other or, of course, finding someone the business needs to hire.

My first Oxford STEM Network event, but not my last

I left Boston House having met several people and businesses I had not come across before.

It didn't really feel like a traditional networking event.

It felt more like a group of people from across Oxfordshire catching up, swapping ideas and finding out what everyone else was working on.

Thanks to Su and everyone involved in organising it, and to everyone who stopped for a chat.

I'll certainly be back.

If you work in Oxfordshire tech, engineering or STEM and we have not met yet, feel free to say hello.

Whether you are hiring, considering your next move or just fancy a coffee and a chat about the Oxfordshire tech scene, I am always happy to talk.