b'ForewordA FEW WORDS FROM OUR CEOThe UK biofilms community continues to make TRAININGsubstantial contributions to the national economyWe are expanding our cohort of PhD students while addressing global challenges. At the Nationalthrough our Doctoral Training Centre in Biofilms Biofilms Innovation Centre (NBIC), our commitmentInnovation, Technology, and Engineering (BITE). NBICs to supporting and connecting industrial and academicCollaborative Training Partnerships (CTP) scheme experts across the UK, as well as our expandingfocuses on addressing industrial research challenges network of international partners, remains steadfast.through collaborations between businesses and We measure our success by our ability to harnessresearch organisations.and translate cutting-edge knowledge, capabilities, and technologies in the prevention, detection,POLICY & PUBLIC ENGAGEMENTmanagement, and engineering of biofilms. Our commitment to increasing NBICs influence in Looking ahead, we are excited to advance ourthe public sphere is unwavering. We are dedicated ambitious plans across four strategic pillars: to supporting our partners and collaborators as they navigate the complex policy-making landscape in the RESEARCH UK. Through our public engagement initiatives, we are Our funding has enabled us to sustain and support ourraising awareness of biofilms, promoting our research, dynamic cohort of Interdisciplinary Research Fellowsand inspiring the next generation of scientists across (IRFs) at our four core universities. These fellows arethe UK.deeply engaged in both foundational research andIt is evident that the UK biofilms community remains collaborative projects with industry partners, drivingunited in our vision: to deliver breakthrough science innovation forward. We have also supported numerousand technologies for controlling and exploiting biofilms, funding applications nationwide, ensuring that the UKand to inspire the research leaders and entrepreneurs remains at the forefront of biofilm research. of tomorrow.INNOVATION - PROFESSOR JO SLATER-JEFFERIES, NBIC CEO, OCTOBER 2024With the announcement of the awarded projects following our fifth Proof of Concept call, we continueto provide a unique platform for accelerating academic-industry partnerships, translating biofilm research into innovative solutions across multiple sectors. Additionally, we are collaborating with regulatory bodies to establish standards that support credible claims for biofilm-focused products, further enhancing the impact ofour work.3'