The UK biofilms community is delivering impact at national scale: generating economic value, strengthening regional innovation ecosystems, supporting business growth and addressing challenges that matter to people and places across the UK. At the National Biofilms Innovation Centre (NBIC), our mission remains clear: to harness UK expertise in biofilm research and innovation, and translate it into solutions for health, water, food, energy, manufacturing, the built environment and environmental sustainability. This year’s Annual Report demonstrates how NBIC is turning world-class discovery into tangible national benefit. NBIC’s impact is now visible across the full innovation pathway. Independent analysis estimates that NBIC has already generated £375 million in economic impact, with further impact projected as funded projects mature. Our programmes have helped create jobs, support spin-outs, attract public and private investment, and enable companies to develop new products, processes and services. These outcomes reflect the strength of a UK-wide consortium that connects 72 research institutions with more than 300 companies and organisations, creating the critical mass needed to translate biofilm science into real-world application. That national reach is central to NBIC’s role. From our founding universities in Edinburgh, Liverpool, Nottingham and Southampton, NBIC has built a connected UK capability that supports regional development, industry collaboration and place-based innovation. Our Proof of Concept, Flexible Talent Mobility Account and Industrial Challenge Response Fund programmes continue to bring universities and businesses together to tackle sector-critical biofilm challenges, from antimicrobial resistance and wound care to sustainable manufacturing, water infrastructure, industrial cooling and low- carbon technologies. The case studies in this report show how targeted support at the right time can de-risk ideas, strengthen commercial confidence and accelerate routes to market. NBIC is also investing in the people and infrastructure that will sustain the UK’s future bioeconomy. Through the BITE Doctoral Training Centre, industry- led Collaborative Training Partnerships, technical modules, entrepreneurship training and industry placements, we are equipping researchers with the interdisciplinary, commercial and leadership skills needed to move between discovery, translation and impact. Our Interdisciplinary Research Fellows remain a distinctive national asset, linking fundamental science with industry need and building capability across the Prevention, Detection, Management and Engineering of biofilms. Our influence extends beyond individual projects. NBIC is helping to shape the conditions that allow innovation to be adopted safely and credibly, including through leadership in biofilm standards, regulatory science, policy engagement and public dialogue. The Biofilm Alliance, international standards activity, engagement with Parliament, and national public engagement programmes all demonstrate NBIC’s commitment to ensuring that the UK remains at the forefront of biofilm research, regulation and responsible innovation. Importantly, this impact is being delivered inclusively, with equality, diversity and access embedded across our governance, training and engagement activities. As we look ahead, NBIC’s ambition is to continue converting UK excellence into outcomes that deliver economic growth, healthier lives, cleaner water, more resilient infrastructure, sustainable industry and greater public understanding. I am proud of what our community has achieved and grateful to our funders, partners, researchers, students, industry members, advisory boards and operational team for their commitment. Together, we are building an innovation ecosystem with impact across the UK, and influence far beyond it. - PROFESSOR JO SLATER-JEFFERIES, NBIC CEO, OCTOBER 2026 Foreword A FEW WORDS FROM OUR CEO 3
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