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The partnership was celebrated this week with the launch, in the House of Commons, of a new report which details the scale of its economic and social impact.
Between 2015 and 2024, the partnership contributed to 350 Unilever patent filings, innovations across 18 of Unilever’s 30 power brands – including Dove and Persil – and the development of leading-edge products used every day by billions of people around the world.
The co-location of Unilever and University scientists at Liverpool’s £81 million Materials Innovation Factory (MIF), which opened in 2018, accelerated the relationship and helped drive new scientific discoveries and product launches.
The MIF brings together exceptional scientists, world-class facilities, advanced robotics, automation and digital capability in one place. This helps turn scientific discovery into product innovation more quickly, moving ideas from the lab into products.
Today, the joint programme covers everything from advanced materials, microbiome and hygiene, to brain and behaviour, and the company’s research archives. It also helps train the next generation of researchers through doctoral programmes, fellowships, and work in fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics and data science.
It has helped Unilever better understand how fragrance can affect mood and confidence, develop new kinds of renewable cleaning technology, and strengthen the science behind faster clothes washing, stronger hair products and better deodorants.
Richard Slater, Chief Research & Development Officer, Unilever, said: “The future of consumer goods will be shaped by the companies that can translate scientific discovery into commercial advantage, quickly and at scale.
“Unilever's partnership with the University of Liverpool gives us exactly that. We’re combining leading science, AI and robotics with more than a century of expertise in beauty, personal and home care to accelerate our innovation and bring better products to billions of consumers around the world.”
Professor Tim Jones, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool, said: “Our partnership with Unilever exemplifies what can be achieved when a world-leading company and world-class university work together with shared purpose. By aligning our research excellence and interdisciplinary expertise with industry needs, we can accelerate discovery and deliver innovative solutions at scale. It is a powerful illustration of the Liverpool Model in action – long-term, embedded collaboration delivering global impact, local growth and improved lives.”
The results are not just academic. In 2024 alone, around 400 jobs were linked to the University’s role in the partnership, which added £270 million to the economy over the previous decade.
The partnership has also strengthened Liverpool’s wider research scene, linking the University, the Materials Innovation Factory, Port Sunlight and the city region’s Knowledge Quarter. It has led to 85 joint academic papers, helped create seven spin-out companies and brought in major research funding.
Kim Johnson MP said: “The University of Liverpool and Unilever’s unique strategic partnership is a shining example of how collaboration between academia and industry can drive innovation and deliver real-world impact.
“It is encouraging to see the benefits of this partnership already being felt across key sectors, creating opportunities, supporting economic growth and strengthening our region's position as a leader in cutting-edge research and development.
“Ambitious plans for the future underline the importance of collaboration in tackling shared challenges and unlocking new opportunities. I look forward to seeing this partnership continue to deliver lasting benefits for our city, our region and beyond.”
Cllr Mike Wharton, LCR CA Cabinet Lead for Economic Growth and Regeneration, said:
“This report is a powerful endorsement of what long-term, meaningful partnership can achieve. The collaboration between the University of Liverpool and Unilever is one of the strongest examples anywhere in the UK of how world-class research and global industry can work hand-in-hand to drive innovation.
“Crucially, it is helping to attract major investment into the Liverpool City Region and create the kind of high-skilled, high-value jobs that will power our future economy. That is how we build lasting prosperity — by backing innovation that delivers real opportunities for our residents.
“At a time when places are competing on the global stage, partnerships like this give our region a real competitive edge — strengthening our reputation as a leading centre for cutting-edge science and ensuring we remain at the forefront of the industries of tomorrow.”
Unilever and the University want to deepen their work together in areas including artificial intelligence and new materials, building on the partnership through the next generation of technologies and infrastructure. They also want to continue celebrating the impact and achievements of the partnership in the years ahead.
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