The Materials Innovation Factory (MIF), an £81 million facility in Liverpool (www.liverpool.ac.uk) dedicated to the research and development of advanced materials, was officially opened last month by the President of the Royal Society, Sir Venki Ramakrishnan.

A collaboration between the University of Liverpool and Unilever, MIF brings together materials chemistry expertise with the latest computational and robotic equipment to accelerate research and reduce the time it takes to develop new products.

The 11,600m² facility has one of the highest concentrations of materials science automation robotics in the world. It can accommodate other academic or industrial users on a flexible open-access basis to facilitate cross-disciplinary collaborations, innovation and knowledge exchange.

Sir Venki said: “The strength of material science in the North West is — to a great extent — built on the collaboration between academia and industry, which is so well embodied in the Materials Innovation Factory.

"Whether it is human health, sustainability or a range of other areas, advanced materials offer tools by which we can tackle some of the big challenges we face on the global stage.

"The range of expertise here in Liverpool can make a big contribution to meeting those challenges and to driving economic growth.”