A ground-breaking ceremony took place earlier this month to officially launch the University of Liverpool’s £65 million Materials Innovation Factory, which it will operate in collaboration with the Unilever group.

The research facility aims to reduce new-product development times and transform a variety of manufacturing processes. Supported by both the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the Research Partnership Investment Fund, the facility will house up to 250 researchers.

The ceremony was carried out by Greg Clark — the Minister for Universities, Science and Cities — who said: “Liverpool’s Materials Innovation Factory is another example of the significant investment we are making in exciting and game-changing research. Supporting collaboration across the industry will help the UK stand out as the best place in the world to do science.” The 120,000ft2 facility on Grove Street in Liverpool is expected to be fully operational by the summer of 2016.