Oxford Instruments Plc

Oxford Instruments Plc designs and manufactures high-technology tools and systems for research and industry that can image, analyse and manipulate materials down to the atomic and molecular level. Founded in 1959 by Sir Martin Wood and Lady Audrey Wood - originally in a garden shed - the company has grown into a group spanning a broad range of scientific instrumentation disciplines: superconducting magnets, scientific cameras, atomic force microscopy, image analysis software, magnetic resonance, nanoanalysis, nanoscience, plasma technology, Raman microscopy, X-ray technology and materials characterisation.

Its activities are organised around a portfolio of named businesses. Andor covers scientific cameras; Asylum Research atomic force microscopy; Imaris image analysis software; WITec Raman microscopy. These sit alongside divisions in Magnetic Resonance, NanoAnalysis, NanoScience, Plasma Technology and X-Ray Technology, each producing instruments and systems for its respective field.

The company is headquartered in the United Kingdom and operates across 55 countries. Its customers are concentrated in scientific research, industrial R&D, materials science, and metrology and analytical instrumentation. Its stated core purpose is to accelerate the breakthroughs that create a brighter future for the world, with focus areas including a greener economy, increased connectivity, improved health and advances in scientific understanding. The stated values are inclusivity, innovation, trust and purpose.