University of Liverpool launches service to improve R&D access

The University of Liverpool has launched a new service that aims to improve the access research & development (R&D) teams have to cutting-edge technology and laboratory equipment.

The Russel group institution has designed the service to help SMEs keep up with the pace and agility which commercial R&D demands. It is being led by the commercial teams behind the Virtual Engineering Centre (VEC) and the Materials Innovation Factory – two of the University’s most successful hubs of industry-academic collaboration.

The service is staffed by experienced ex-industry executives and world-leading academics. It offers access to the latest technology and lab equipment, removing the barriers SMEs face from unaffordable equipment. Alongside this, dedicated strategic and technical support will be offered to help businesses define and implement industry 4.0 projects which align with their commercial objectives.

The industry-facing team will provide guidance to help businesses use technology to accelerate product development, reduce costs and improve productivity, and will facilitate flexible access to the University of Liverpool’s state of the art labs and technology.

It will also provide a ‘one front door’ service for private and public sector organisations to collaborate on R&D projects with world-leading academics in the fields of computer and data science, AI and robotics, and materials chemistry.

Next year, a new Digital Innovation Facility (DIF) will be launched to complement the service. DIF is a £12.7 million investment designed to provide a home for academic research and which will be dedicated to maximising the real-world impact of emerging technologies.

Dr Andrew Levers, executive director, Institute of Digital Engineering and Autonomous Systems at the University of Liverpool, said: “The huge disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus the need for business to be able to adapt and innovate. Digital transformation has a major role to play in building that resilience and helping businesses gain a competitive advantage through smarter, faster and more precise ways of working.

“We want to ensure the ground-breaking research into emerging technologies happening across the University of Liverpool has a meaningful and beneficial commercial impact.

“Our dedicated team, the majority of whom are from industry backgrounds, understand the pace businesses need to work at. They are backed by world class academic minds and the state-of-the-art equipment and facilities to help businesses define and implement projects to capitalise on new technology, reduce costs and improve productivity, no matter what sector they work in.”