On Friday 20 February, Astronomer Royal Professor Michele Dougherty, Executive Chair of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) - and one of the world’s leading space scientists – visited the Liverpool City Region and met senior researchers and participated in in-depth major project discussions at the University of Liverpool. Prof. Dougherty is the first woman to be named Astronomer Royal - a position in the Royal Households dating back to 1675 and the founding of the Greenwich Royal Observatory.
The meeting involved discussions about the new University of Liverpool-led AI Materials Hub for Innovation and National Biofilms Innovation Centre Live programmes. Prof. Rasmita Raval, director of the Open Innovation Hub for Antimicrobial Surfaces and co-director of NBIC, presented an overview of the NBIC Live project and showcased our UK-leading approach to innovation. This was followed by a tour of the Materials Innovation Factory by Dr Jon Hague, Unilever's Homecare R&D Head of Bright Future Science and Technology.