PhysicsX, which began life at Bicester Motion, recently secured a $300m (£223.9m) investment to support its expansion. In 2025, PhysicsX was valued at $1bn (£740m).

Founded by Robin Tuluie, the firm first set up operations in 2021 in a small office inside the Station Armoury at Bicester Motion before moving to the Gas Defence Centre as the team grew.

The company now employs more than 300 people and is based in London and New York.

Mr Tuluie said: “High-fidelity physics simulation has always been powerful, but it has also been slow, costly, and the preserve of a small group of specialists.

“Physics AI changes that in every dimension.”

The AI-driven engineering company uses artificial intelligence to support simulation and modelling.

Its approach helps improve speed, efficiency, and accessibility.

Mr Tuluie said the company’s technology is about broadening access to advanced tools.

He said: “We believe in the democratisation of this technology to broad technical profiles across an industrial organisation — engineers, designers, and operators who previously couldn’t run these analyses themselves.

“As that capability spreads, its utility compounds across the business.

“That’s the change we’re driving.”

PhysicsX began as a small venture at Bicester Motion and is now one of the UK’s biggest exponents of artificial intelligence.

Its recent investment is expected to accelerate its global growth.

Tribe Zero-Waste, based in Faringdon, Oxfordshire, has kept nearly two tonnes of plastic out of circulation since opening its doors in June 2022.

The business, founded by Katie Herring in 2018, began as a pop-up and now occupies a permanent retail space thanks to support from Oxford City Council and the Meanwhile in Oxfordshire scheme run by Makespace Oxford.

Ms Herring said: “When I started Tribe as a market stall, I really had no idea where it would lead, I just hoped it would make a difference and help those who wanted to shop more sustainably.

“I’m constantly blown away by the response from our local community and these numbers belong to them as much as to us.

“Every person who has filled a bottle or bought their oats loose here is part of this and it just shows how much more we can achieve together.

“It’s a tough time for high street retail but the fact we are still here four years on shows the passion of our community to shop in a way that helps our planet.”

Since opening in 2022, the shop has helped divert 1,769kg of plastic from waste through its refill and packaging-free product model.

Customers have avoided the use of more than 37,000 plastic bottles and containers, and more than 59,600 bags and boxes, by opting for refills and loose goods.

The savings include 425kg of plastic from dairy products packaged in returnable glass containers, sourced from Berkeley Farm organic dairy in Wroughton.

To mark the anniversary, Ms Herring and her team invited customers to enjoy a slice of plastic-free birthday cake made by Faringdon baker Flour and Fold.

The celebration also coincided with Great Big Green Week, a national campaign running from June 6 to 14 that highlights community efforts to tackle climate change.

Ms Herring attended Faringdon’s Big Green Day at the Corn Exchange, where she spoke with residents about the environmental impact of choosing reusable and packaging-free options.

Her inspiration for the business came after meeting the founders of Oxford’s SESI, which supplies refillable household cleaning products.

Tribe Zero-Waste began as a monthly pop-up in Wantage with just 20 products on a table at The Mix, a community space.

After four years of pop-ups, markets, and a delivery service—especially during Covid—the business opened its first shop in Faringdon in June 2022.

Demand quickly outgrew the original site, prompting a move to a larger unit in the town marketplace.

The shop now stocks a wide range of refillable household and personal care items, plastic-free foods, and locally sourced products.

It also offers a fortnightly delivery service across Oxford, Faringdon, and the Vale of White Horse, as well as national shipping.

On Thursday it was confirmed that Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group has made a cash offer for Hugo Boss, in a deal worth almost £1.73 billion

The group owns Sports Direct, House of Fraser, Flannels, GAME, USC, Evans Cycles, Jack Wills, and Gieves & Hawkes.

Frasers is a long-term investor in Hugo Boss and said it “remains supportive” of both Stephan Sturm, the chair of the supervisory board, and Daniel Grieder, chief executive, in pursuit of their “sustainable growth strategy whilst continuing to build brand equity”. 

The Sports Direct owner believes that increasing Frasers’ investment in the brand will “create value for Frasers’ shareholders”.

At date of the announcement, Frasers held 26.6 per cent of the share capital and 26.58 per cent (excluding treasury shares) of the voting rights of Hugo Boss. 

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The UK retail giant, which has a current market value of around £3.45 billion, said it would hope to complete the deal in the second half of this year if it is approved and receives regulatory approvals.

Sports Direct has stores in Cowley, and West Way Retail Park with brands GAME, USC, Evans Cycles and Jack Wills operated as concessions within this larger stores as part of previous takeover deals.

Meanwhile, luxury designer Flannels can be found in Westgate shopping centre.

Hugo Boss has stores within the outlet shopping centre Bicester Village and Westgate shopping centre in Oxford city centre.