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Advanced materials are vital to the future
prosperity of the UK economy. Sustainability
of materials supply is crucial, as global stocks
of fossil fuels and other feedstocks dwindle,
and novel materials are needed to drive
applied technological innovation.
The Materials Innovation Factory, a £68 million public / private
investment, will bring together one of the largest research-
active companies in the UK, Unilever, with one of the strongest
chemistry departments in the UK, at the University of Liverpool,
to address key challenges in materials science.
The facility is the largest R&D investment Unilever has made
with any university globally and the largest industry-academic
collaboration in chemistry within the UK. This is a landmark
example of leading anchor institutions and major employers,
collaborating around a shared expertise for economic benefit.
By design, the new facility will promote exchange of ideas
and knowledge - co-locating up to 300 industry and academic
researchers. The Materials Innovation Factory will deliver major
improvements in scientific productivity, and reduce new product
development times, to drive economic growth and international
research competitiveness.
The facility is the
largest R&D investment
Unilever has made with any
university globally
The Materials
Innovation Factory
£68m
60
Public / Private
investment supported
by HEFCE
Supports over
technology driven SMEs
Case Study: Industrial Innovation