National Biofilms Innovation Centre NBIC 2018 Flexible Talent Mobility Account

The UK’s National Biofilms Innovation Centre represents a fusion of world-class research and industry to deliver breakthrough technologies in the control and exploitation of biofilms. NBIC is a truly interdisciplinary centre, bringing together 4 lead (Edinburgh, Liverpool, Nottingham and Southampton) and 59 associate UK universities as well as national science centres and organisations such as the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), Public Health England (PHE), LGC (former Laboratory of the Government Chemist) and National Institute of Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), and the NHS, for example through University Hospital Trusts and NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and their infrastructure. NBIC also represents a network of over 150 businesses, focussed on addressing biofilm challenges and opportunities across a diverse range of industry sectors including start-ups, micro small, medium and large businesses, operating both within the UK and internationally.

As an open innovation platform, NBIC provides a focus for industry partners to access biofilm research, expertise and capabilities across the UK, connecting the right experts, simplifying knowledge transfer and initiating collaboration. As such, we are ideally placed to catalyse and support the exchange of researchers as well as knowledge and expertise between academic and industry sectors as required and create additional value within the FTMA remit. Working with industry, and under the direction of the NBICs Industry Advisory Board (IAB), NBIC is developing sector roadmaps, identifying the unmet needs of the sectors, and the key scientific, commercial, technical and regulatory barriers to meet them (see NBIC’s workshop and industry reports: https://www.biofilms.ac.uk/publications-reports/). The roadmaps provide clear direction for NBIC’s science strategy and, consequently, NBIC’s FTMA awards are expected to be aligned to this national strategy.