Unilever and the University of Liverpool

The partnership between the University of Liverpool and Unilever is a leading example of Knowledge Exchange practices between academia and industry

Unilever is a well-established global consumer goods company and their work within the Materials Innovation Factory (MIF) focuses on developing formulated materials. However, the collaborative projects with the University cover a much broader range of activities with equally broad impacts.

The MIF is a world-class centre of materials chemistry expertise and facilities with one of the highest global concentrations of materials science robotics. It is an excellent reflection of the distinctive partnership model between Unilever and the University as an open access innovation facility that provides specialised space, differentiated equipment and methodologies, skilled technical support and academic thought leadership.

In addition to the strong ingredients and materials focus at the MIF, the elements that form the basis of the partnership model have been applied across a number of other key research areas outside of this focus.

World-leading microbiome research

In 2016, Unilever and the University of Liverpool partnered to open the MIF OMICs Facility (covering the scientific study of biological molecules, such as genomics, metabolomics and proteomics), which offers access to genomic sequencing platforms, computational biology infrastructure and technical expertise. As part of the Centre for Genomics Research, with which Unilever has also maintained a long-term partnership, it highlights the importance of high-throughput technologies and multi-disciplinary research in new materials development.

Alongside the applications to chemical and materials development, this collaboration offers the opportunity to research the human microbiome, leading to the recently established Microbiome Innovation Centre and furthering the strategic partnership with Unilever. As a centre for academic and industrial innovation, this collaboration enables in-depth research into the oral and skin microbiomes and has already enabled Unilever to develop first-to-market toothpaste and skincare products.

Unilever and the University of Liverpool have also been awarded a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) grant to investigate the relationship between the human skin microbiome and our overall wellbeing, combining cutting-edge microbiome analysis with psychological research. Unilever has been partnering with the University on other neuroscience research, including how the brain processes a variety of stimuli as well as brain imaging and neurobiological indicators of stress and wellbeing.

Sustainable research

Across 2020 and 2021, the university’s Knowledge Exchange team led collaborative innovation workshops, enabling academic colleagues to engage in new areas of Unilever’s business. This helped facilitate the process of moving ideas forward to become fast-tracked projects for transformative change.

As part of an £8.8 million EPSRC Prosperity Partnership announced in 2021, the University of Liverpool, Unilever and the University of Oxford are developing new platforms to provide a sustainable global chemical supply chain, helping the UK achieve Net Zero by 2050.

The Research and Partnerships team within the Research Partnerships and Innovation Directorate were instrumental to the Prosperity Partnership application process through pre-call scoping, bid development and critical support, as well as providing mock interviews and performance feedback for the application team. Prosperity Partnerships are business-led research partnerships with long-term strategic university partners, and this Cleaner Futures project led by Professor Matthew Rosseinsky (Department of Chemistry) will be key for developing new materials through the MIF and driving clean growth, helping Unilever to find sustainable routes for the production of chemicals used in consumer products.

The broader picture

Unilever’s long-term partnership with the University of Liverpool has driven a change in their approach to research and development. Originally, they managed smaller, transactional relationships with universities all over the world. Now they work more strategically, with the University as an exemplar partnership with high-level staff on both sides searching for new opportunities and the best option for completing specific development projects.

Matt Reed, Strategic Director of the MIF, highlighted the civic impacts that the partnership has on the surrounding Liverpool City Region and the broader North West area. “The University and Unilever are key organisations that contribute a significant proportion of the economic activity in the area” he said. “They are also significant knowledge assets, undertaking large-scale activities and driving the knowledge economy, making both organisations significant assets for Liverpool.” Whilst both the University and Unilever have much to gain from the partnership, so too does Liverpool City Region, the North West of England, and the UK as a whole.

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