Unilever undertakes bio-chemical research jointly with Liverpool University

Unilever and the University of Liverpool will research into the development of new bio-derived chemicals for use in home and personal care products. They will also work together on formulation design which will cut across several sectors such as home and personal care, and foods.

Unilever and the University already have a long-standing research partnership in the area of product and process innovation. Scientists from both organisations collaborate at the University's £9.6-million centre for materials discovery (CMD) to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of Unilever's household products.

Vice-chancellor, Professor Sir Howard Newby, said, ''Our partnership with Unilever has enabled us both to benefit from each others' expertise and really accelerate innovation. We are delighted to extend our partnership with Unilever – we have an excellent relationship that brings out the best of university-industry partnerships and is testament to the North West's strong position as a leading hub of science and innovation. The expertise and knowledge the University brings will be crucial to help us develop new technologies''

Dr Jon Hague, Unilever vice-president for open innovation, said, ''Working collaboratively with our innovation partners is absolutely critical to helping us achieve our ambition of doubling the size of our business while reducing our environment impact.

"The challenges we have set ourselves in the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan are simply too great to tackle alone. That's why this new partnership agreement with the University of Liverpool is so important, because the expertise and knowledge that the University brings to this already long-standing relationship will be crucial to helping us develop new technologies and products which grow our business without increasing our burden on the planet.''