The Oxford research that led to a coronavirus vaccine
Vital QR funding supported Oxford researchers to pivot and adapt existing work to develop a coronavirus vaccine
Unilever and the University of Liverpool
17 January 2025
Supported by QR funding, Liverpool and Unilever's long-term strategic partnership established the Materials Innovation Factory (MIF) – a world-class centre for materials chemistry and microbiome research.
The University of Liverpool and Unilever, through their long-term strategic partnership, established the Materials Innovation Factory (MIF) – a world-class centre for materials chemistry and microbiome research. It is home to one of the highest concentrations, globally, of materials science robotics, and is driving the development of an innovation cluster supporting regional growth.
The MIF has helped ensure researchers and industrial partners working in the Liverpool City Region can access some of the best academic labs in the world, enabling world-leading human microbiome research – exploring how the skin microbiome contributes to wellbeing, resulting in the development of first-to-market toothpaste and skincare products.
To date, the MIF has generated nearly £100m in investment and actively contributes to economic growth across the city region and beyond. It provides a centre of research for over 200 Unilever R&D staff along with a similar number of University of Liverpool researchers.
As evidenced in a 2024 Economic and Wider Impacts Report, Liverpool’s collaborations with Unilever are transforming the global chemical supply chain towards Net Zero by 2050.
