Unilever is one of the largest companies in the UK, employing over 6,000 people, generating an annual turnover 
of almost £2 billion, and spending over £145 million per year with suppliers. Three of the company’s six R&D hubs 
are located in the UK, and the products developed by their scientists and R&D teams are found in 98% of UK 
homes and used by more than 3.7 billion people worldwide. The ubiquitous nature of biofilms means they are 
relevant to many of the sectors that Unilever operate in. Through NBIC, Unilever engages with the UK’s biofilm 
science network and collaborates with leading university scientists to advance its technologies and products.
Anti-biofilm Technologies 
In sectors such as healthcare, hygiene, and marine, biofilms are harmful and can lead to chronic infection and 
biofouling. Unilever has collaborated with NBIC research partners at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, University 
of Nottingham, University of Liverpool, and University of Glasgow across several projects to develop a novel 
anti-biofilm technology that could tackle these problems. These projects have generated Proof of Concept 
data that have demonstrated efficacy of the technology, deepened mechanistic understanding of how it works, 
guided product development, and enabled product validation across multiple sectors. Through working with 
university partners, Unilever were able to access specialised models and field trials relevant to real-world 
conditions to test the technology, which is crucial for translating laboratory efficacy into effective applications. 
The projects’ results have driven investment decisions within Unilever as well as enabling talent mobility 
through one of the project’s post docs securing a permanent research scientist position at the company.     
Surface Hygiene 
Understanding how biofilms form on surfaces can help improve the effectiveness of cleaning products, 
for example, those used in the home. Unilever worked with NBIC’s Open Innovation Hub for Antimicrobial 
Surface (OPIHAS) at the University of Liverpool, to develop a testing platform that reflected surface-
cleaning product performance under realistic conditions found in households. The project utilised the 
team’s expertise in a variety of microscopy and spectroscopy techniques to carry out chemical, physical 
and biological characterisation of bacterial attachment to a model hard surface treated with antimicrobial 
actives. Unilever were able to take the results forward in guiding selection of materials for further formulation 
studies and new product design. They also formed the basis for a joint PhD project between the two 
organisations, which investigated promising research avenues from the preliminary proof of concept data.
Scaling Biofilm Solutions with Unilever
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CASE STUDY 

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