Our Impact

Delivering Breakthrough Science & Technologies

A 2023 economic review from Black Kite Ltd highlights several significant impacts following the £16m investment from BBSRC and Innovate UK into NBIC between December 2017 and December 2022. The review demonstrates a total impact of approximately £204m that extends throughout the UK economy.

Economic Impact of Biofilm Research

Our Proof of Concept projects have demonstrated environmental and social benefits, estimated at £23m and £30.5m, respectively.

Job Creation and Talent Development

A significant outcome of the economic review is the creation of fifty-one positions, including secondments, research posts, and jobs at spin-out companies. Our influence has also led to the creation and development of an additional fifty jobs. Moreover, NBIC has played a pivotal role in nurturing talent, with seventy-six students, including sixty-six PhD candidates and six international students, benefiting from our support.

Funding and Economic Output

Our core universities (Edinburgh, Liverpool, Nottingham, and Southampton) have attracted an additional £32.9m of public and private funds, which is estimated to have an economic output of almost £43m so far, with a more significant economic value still to be realised as the additional research funds are used. In addition, clusters of biofilm activity within the regions of the NBIC-associated universities have attracted further public and industry funding, with an estimated total impact of £8.1m.

International Partnerships and Collaborations

We have established international partnerships with renowned institutions such as the Centre for Biofilm Engineering in Montana and the Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering and have played a leading role in forming the International Biofilm Standards Task Group.

Investments and Innovations

The further £7.5m investment from BBSRC and Innovate UK will enable NBIC to drive the adoption of innovative solutions across industry sectors to address major global challenges including climate change, water safety and improved healthcare. It will also drive step-changes in standards and regulation for novel biofilm solutions that support international trade. 

Independent Reviews and Contributions

UKRI commissioned an independent review into the IKC programme to gain an understanding of the programme’s impact to date, feedback on the scheme and recommendations for future evolution, which evidences further NBIC’s contribution to research and innovation in the UK.