Dr Alex Reip has started the new role at Enterprise Oxfordshire.

It follows changes where local economic development work, previously managed by the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP), is now handled by Oxfordshire County Council through Enterprise Oxfordshire.

Dr Reip, a co-founder of energy technology company Oxford nanoSystems, has played a major role in Oxfordshire’s innovation ecosystem since moving to the region after completing his PhD.

He said: “Taking on the role of Chair at Enterprise Oxfordshire at this particular moment feels like a real privilege.

“The region has extraordinary assets – world-class research, deep tech spin-outs and start-ups, and a business community with genuine ambition.

“However, too many companies still struggle to find the support and investment they need to scale. That’s what I want to help change.

“Our teams have a legacy of creating robust and agile support that is truly driven by our business community, establishing even stronger connections between business and education, as well as working nationally and internationally to drive investment into the county for the benefit of all.”

Alongside his work with Oxford nanoSystems, Dr Reip has supported start-up businesses through advisory and mentoring roles.

He currently holds a range of non-executive director, trustee and advisory positions across sectors including energy, education, and innovation.

These include serving as a non-executive director at the Net Zero Technology Centre, being a trustee of the Royal Society of Chemistry and chair of governors at North Kidlington Primary School.

Helen Brind, director of business and skills at Enterprise Oxfordshire, said: “We are delighted to announce Alex’s appointment as Chair of Enterprise Oxfordshire.

“Alex is not only a familiar face to many within our organisation, but also across the Oxfordshire business community.

“He has a strong understanding of the challenges faced by businesses of all sizes on a day-to-day basis, but more importantly, he has a clear view of the outstanding opportunities this county offers.

“I have no doubt he will provide the guidance and insight needed to ensure we continue to deliver outstanding impact for Oxfordshire.”

Dr Reip’s appointment comes at a time of strong regional performance from Growth Hubs, including Enterprise Oxfordshire Business.

The lately published Growth Hub Cluster Impact Report highlighted the support provided across five regions between April 2020 and March 2025, including help for 92,719 businesses, the creation of 3,934 start-ups, and the safeguarding of 6,093 jobs.

Enterprise Oxfordshire continues to deliver services across business, skills, investment and trade to maximise the county’s economic potential.

Manhattan Associates has published survey findings that put World Cup-related spending by UK consumers at GBP £4.5 billion, while warning retailers face a heightened risk of stock shortages during the tournament.

The research found that 78% of British adults, or about 43 million people, expect to watch the competition. Of those viewers, 76% plan to make purchases linked to it. Average spending among fans is projected at GBP £136.25, with 28% expecting to spend more than GBP £150.

Food, drink and merchandise are among the main spending categories. About 43% of fans said they plan to buy food and snacks for watching at home, 35% intend to stock up on beer, wine and alcohol, and 16% expect to buy a new replica kit.

Some consumers also plan bigger-ticket purchases for home viewing and entertaining. The survey found that 16% expect to buy new BBQs or outdoor cooking equipment, while 10% plan to upgrade televisions or screens.

Spending intentions vary by age group and region. Consumers aged 25 to 34 are expected to spend the most, at an average of GBP £174.78, followed by Gen Z adults aged 18 to 24 at GBP £146.12. London consumers lead regional spending at GBP £160.82 per person.

The findings also point to limited tolerance for out-of-stock items in the run-up to matches. Some 84% of fans said they would travel further to find a product if it was unavailable the day before a game, and 7% said they would travel for more than an hour.

That raises the stakes for retailers managing short bursts of demand tied to match schedules. The survey found that 71% have experienced stock shortages or fulfilment failures during previous major tournaments.

The issue appears most acute in certain sectors. Toys, games and baby products retailers reported the highest level of past disruption, at 89%, followed by fashion and apparel at 80%.

Retailers also attached a significant financial cost to failures during the event. Nearly two-thirds, or 63%, said a stock problem during the World Cup would cost more than GBP £100,000. The average loss was estimated at GBP £116,836, rising to GBP £125,557 in fashion and apparel.

Martin Lockwood, Senior Director at Manhattan Associates, said the combination of concentrated demand and low consumer patience creates a direct commercial risk for sellers that fail to keep products available.

“A tournament like the World Cup compresses months of demand into a few intense weeks, and consumers have made it clear they won’t wait around for a restock,” said Martin Lockwood, Senior Director at Manhattan Associates.

“When 84% of fans say they’ll go elsewhere if a product isn’t on the shelf before kick-off, every fulfilment failure becomes a direct handover of revenue to a competitor. And when demand spikes ahead of kick-off, a forecast alone won’t protect you. Retailers need to see what’s happening in real time, redirect stock quickly and adjust fulfilment before empty shelves turn into lost sales. The retailers who win this summer will be those with a unified, execution-first supply chain – one that’s strong enough to absorb the surge, flexible enough to move stock at speed, and built to protect the promises they’ve made to customers when the pressure peaks.”

Planning ahead

Earlier preparation appears to be linked to fewer problems. Nearly half of retailers, or 47%, said they begin planning stock and supply chain operations more than six months before the tournament, while 87% start at least three months in advance.

Only 1% said they rely on reactive demand planning alone. Among sectors, sport, outdoor and leisure businesses were the earliest planners, with an average lead time of 5.82 months.

That same sector also reported the lowest level of stock problems, at 45%, well below the broader market average of 71%. The data points to a connection between longer planning cycles and better product availability during demand peaks.

Lockwood said the pattern across sectors was clear, but argued that preparation alone would not be enough once consumer behaviour begins to shift during the tournament.

“The correlation is impossible to ignore: the sectors that plan earliest experience the fewest stock failures,” said Lockwood.

“Sport, outdoor and leisure retailers plan nearly six months ahead and, as a result, have roughly half the stock problems of the wider market. But planning alone isn’t enough. Demand during the World Cup moves fast, so retailers need a unified, real-time view of their entire operation – one that lets them see exactly what’s selling, reallocate stock and adjust fulfilment in the moment, all from a single source of truth. Forecasting gets you to the starting line; unified, real-time execution is what wins the game.”

Axiologik has appointed Andy Roberts and Tim Lewis to its senior leadership team as demand for AI projects rises.

AI-related enquiries have increased roughly tenfold over the past nine months. The Leeds technology consultancy is also recruiting for 15 more AI-focused roles as it expands work for clients trying to move AI projects from pilot stages into operational use.

Roberts joins as Principal Consultant after 25 years working across consulting, technology, sport and media. His recent work has focused on helping organisations make AI projects deliver commercial results.

Lewis also joins as Principal Consultant. Named Prolific North Tech Leader of the Year in 2025, he has worked on technology teams and systems in logistics, health technology and gaming.

The recruitment drive reflects a wider pattern among organisations that have experimented with AI but struggled to deploy it at scale. Clients are contending with issues including data readiness, legacy systems and governance as they try to put AI into live environments.

Axiologik works with clients ranging from banks to government departments, helping them move beyond proof-of-concept work to systems that can operate within regulatory and operational constraints.

Demand shift

The growth in AI work comes as businesses reassess how to turn investment in generative AI and related tools into practical outcomes. Axiologik cited MIT research finding that 95% of generative AI pilots do not reach production, and said many organisations are still facing the same deployment problems identified in that research.

That has created an opening for consultancies that can combine engineering, software delivery and governance with AI projects. Axiologik said it differs from firms that place AI in standalone innovation units by spreading AI training across the business, with all staff AI-certified.

The business has also introduced AxioIntelligence, an AI readiness assessment designed to help executive teams identify where AI may produce a return and what governance work is needed first. It sits alongside Axiologik’s wider work in digital services, legacy modernisation and cyber security.

Roberts set out his view of the market challenge in a statement on his appointment.

“The appetite for AI certainly isn’t a problem; execution is. Most organisations can run training or a pilot. Far fewer can turn that into transformation at scale, the complex, business-wide change that delivers a return. That’s what Axiologik is built to do, and why I joined,” said Andy Roberts, Principal Consultant, Axiologik.

His appointment adds another senior figure to Yorkshire’s technology consulting sector at a time when firms are competing for specialists in data, software and AI delivery. Leeds and the wider region continue to build a reputation in digital services, with activity spanning financial services, public sector technology and health technology.

Lewis said clients were looking for practical support rather than broad claims about AI.

“Clients don’t need more noise about AI; there is plenty of that about. They need help managing risk and building the data architecture and software foundations to make this work in practice. Doing that inside a B Corp that takes governance seriously is exactly the right place to do it properly,” said Tim Lewis, Principal Consultant, Axiologik.

Axiologik was founded in Leeds in 2016 and works across public and private sector technology programmes. The latest expansion strengthens its work in secure and regulated digital change.