Oxfordshire's Milton Park has been named as one of the country’s most sustainable innovation communities.

The park near Didcot won the Environmental Sustainability Award at the United Kingdom Science Park Association’s 40th anniversary conference.

Veronica Reynolds, sustainability and community manager at Milton Park, said: "We’re delighted to receive the award, recognising how the Milton Park innovation community is working together to tackle some of the most pressing environmental challenges.

"Whether making our buildings more environmentally friendly, encouraging greener travel, or creating nature-rich spaces, sustainability is at the heart of what we do.

"The award provides a timely reminder that greener growth is not only possible but an exciting opportunity for the science park community to work collaboratively to secure a better future for our planet."

The award recognised Milton Park's efforts to reduce carbon emissions and maximise biodiversity across its 300-acre campus.

Physicist and author, Jim Al-Khalili, presented the award which highlighted the initiatives introduced by the park, many of which originated from its Greener Workplace Forum.

This independent group of 85 members, comprising 41 occupiers, shares best practices and raises awareness of existing green initiatives around energy use, recycling, and travel.

The judges noted the park's success in reducing single occupancy vehicle use by nearly a third since 2018.

As a result, more than half of commutes to Milton Park are now made using sustainable transport options.

To encourage this, the park introduced a £20 subsidised bus pass scheme for employees living locally, which led to an increase in bus usage from eight per cent in 2018 to 27 per cent in 2023.

Milton Park also served as a test-bed location for the UK’s first fully electric, autonomous bus trial.

This demonstrated the park's role as a ‘living lab’ and highlighted how "effective collaboration can propel innovation," it said.

The judges also acknowledged the park's work in biodiversity, its zero-to-landfill waste management policy, and other green initiatives.

These include reducing waste and emissions from science companies, installing new electric vehicle charging points, and improving cycle paths.

The Milton Park team is also actively engaged with the surrounding community, including schools and charities.

Its schools’ engagement programme, Explore Milton Park, has benefitted more than 1,500 children, and as a founder member of the Didcot Powerhouse Fund, the park has helped to raise more than £300,000 for local charities since 2021.

The park recently announced a new £40 million research and development facility at the site is nearing completion.

Construction of Nebula, which will offer around 80,000 sq ft of research and development workspace, is due to finish in the first quarter of 2025.