National Biofilms Innovation Centre

Name

National Biofilms Innovation Centre

Legal name

National Biofilms Innovation Centre

Website

https://biofilms.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

National Biofilms Innovation Centre (NBIC) is the UK's Innovation and Knowledge Centre for biofilm research, funded by BBSRC and Innovate UK. It coordinates a four-university consortium (Edinburgh, Liverpool, Southampton, Nottingham) to deliver research, training, translational funding, and industry partnerships across eight biofilm-relevant sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funding (BBSRC and Innovate UK): NBIC is primarily funded by BBSRC (Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council) and Innovate UK as an Innovation and Knowledge Centre (IKC). Funding supports research, training, and translational activities. Additional BBSRC funding of £300k was awarded in 2024 for Flexible Talent Mobility Awards (FTMA) from July 2024 to March 2027.
2. Industry Membership: Launched in 2024, NBIC Membership provides industry with exclusive access to specialist services, translational project participation, funding insights, PhD programme access via Collaborative Training Partnerships, concessionary event access, and NBIC-funded reports at reduced rates. The scheme had grown to 33 members by 2025.
3. Grant Funding: NBIC receives project-specific grant funding for initiatives like NBIC-LIVE (£8.7m from UK Government's Local Innovation Partnership Fund for AI-enabled antimicrobial surface innovation) and general research advancement funding (£23.4m to University of Southampton for global innovation hub establishment).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

NBIC is a UK Innovation and Knowledge Centre that coordinates biofilm research, training, and industry collaboration across four core universities (Edinburgh, Liverpool, Southampton, Nottingham). It sells an Industry Membership scheme to companies, funds translational research via Proof of Concept awards and Innovation Vouchers, runs the BITE Doctoral Training Centre and ICURe commercialisation programme, and operates the Biofilm Alliance regulatory science network to bridge academic research with industrial application across eight biofilm-relevant sectors.

Product overview

NBIC is a UK Innovation and Knowledge Centre funded by BBSRC and Innovate UK, operating as a national research consortium rather than a traditional product company. Its core offerings include the BITE Doctoral Training Centre for PhD and postdoctoral training, the Flexible Talent Mobility Account (FTMA) for industry-academia exchanges, and the Proof of Concept funding programme for translational research. The Industrial Membership Scheme provides exclusive access to partnering support, funding insights, and training for member companies. NBIC also operates the Biofilm Alliance regulatory science network and manages the Innovate UK ICURe commercialisation programme in partnership with SETsquared. Public engagement is delivered through the #BiofilmAware campaign, the annual Biofilm Create! Competition, and various workshops and conferences including the Biofilms 11 conference series.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NBIC-LIVE: AI-enabled antimicrobial surface innovation centre, the world's first dedicated centre in this area, funded by £8.7m from the UK Government's Local Innovation Partnership Fund.
• BITE (Biofilms Innovation, Technology and Engineering)
• #BiofilmAware
• #BiofilmWeek
• Biofilm Alliance
• Biofilm Create!
• NBIC-LIVE

Products and services

• NBIC Industry Membership Scheme A recurring membership programme providing industry members with curated partnering support, bespoke funding insights, access to PhD programmes via Collaborative Training Partnerships, concessionary access to NBIC events and training, and quarterly member newsletters. Sector strategies cover Health, Food and Agriculture, Water, Waste Management, Marine, Household/Cleaning, and Energy. Grew to 33 members by 2025.
• BITE Doctoral Training Centre in Biofilms Innovation, Technology and Engineering National doctoral training programme providing interdisciplinary training in biofilm research, engineering, and entrepreneurship through a partnership between NBIC's four core universities (Edinburgh, Liverpool, Nottingham, Southampton) and international institutes. Currently has 45 students enrolled and combines academic and industry-led training.
• Flexible Talent Mobility Account (FTMA) BBSRC-funded training grant supporting secondments and mobility activities for researchers and technical staff between industry and academia. Administered across multiple funding rounds to foster academia-industry talent mobility within NBIC's network.
• Innovate UK ICURe Commercialisation Programme Biofilm-focused innovation commercialisation programme delivered in partnership with SETsquared, supporting early-career researchers in transforming research into market-ready innovations through sprint, explore, and exploit tracks.
• NBIC Edinburgh Innovation Vouchers Vouchers of up to £10,000 to support collaborative projects between NBIC academic research partners and regional SMEs or large companies, funding university costs for new product or service development aligned with NBIC's PDME strategic themes. Available in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and North East England.
• Proof of Concept (PoC) Funding Programme Translational funding programme supporting academic-industry partnerships to accelerate biofilm research into market-ready technologies. Past awards have catalysed Innovate UK grants and seed funding for spin-outs such as CC Bio / Precisio Biotix Therapeutics.
• Biofilm Alliance Innovate UK-funded initiative bringing together experts from academia, industry, metrology, regulatory bodies, and standardisation organisations to bridge the gap between cutting-edge biofilm research and effective regulation, focusing on Industrial Processes, Water Systems, Food, and Built Environment sectors.

Quantifiable outcome

• NBIC study quantified global biofilm economic impact at $5 trillion per annum
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Centre for Process Innovation (CPI): CPI is a UK Catapult technology innovation centre supporting process manufacturing across pharma, food, and industrial biotech via pilot facilities and industry partnerships. Comparable to NBIC as a publicly-funded innovation centre operating industry membership schemes and translational funding programmes for life sciences-adjacent sectors.
• Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult: Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult is one of Innovate UK's Catapult centres, focused on advancing cell and gene therapies via academic-industry collaboration and translational infrastructure. It is comparable to NBIC as a UK government-backed translational R&D hub with industry membership, PoC funding, and doctoral training analogues.

Direct peers

• The Francis Crick Institute: The Francis Crick Institute is a flagship UK biomedical discovery research institute in London, operating as a consortium with multiple university partners and significant public funding. It is directly comparable to NBIC as a publicly-funded, multi-institutional life sciences research hub coordinating academic expertise with translational ambition.
• Roslin Institute: The Roslin Institute is a BBSRC-funded animal bioscience research institute at the University of Edinburgh, focused on veterinary and biomedical science. Comparable to NBIC as a UK BBSRC-funded research institute under the same funding umbrella, with academic-industry translation and training infrastructure.
• Quadram Institute Bioscience: Quadram Institute is a BBSRC-funded food and health research institute in Norwich, addressing microbiome, food safety, and gut health. Comparable to NBIC as a UK BBSRC-funded bioscience research institute with similar translational model, industry partnership engagement, and focus on microbiome-adjacent biological challenges.
• Earlham Institute: Earlham Institute is a BBSRC-funded genomics and bioinformatics research institute in Norwich. Comparable to NBIC as a UK BBSRC-funded life sciences research institute with translational partnerships and industry engagement in biological sciences.
• Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC): IBioIC is a Scotland-based Innovation Centre funded by the Scottish Funding Council, the Scottish Government, and industry, focused on industrial biotechnology. Closely comparable to NBIC as a UK innovation centre operating the same consortium model with academic-industry partnerships, PoC funding, and a doctoral training programme in biotech adjacent to biofilm applications.
• Rosalind Franklin Institute: The Rosalind Franklin Institute is a UK national life sciences research institute funded by UKRI, developing new technologies for health and biological discovery. Comparable to NBIC as a UKRI-funded multi-institutional life sciences research hub with translational mission and doctoral training infrastructure.
• Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB): MIB is a University of Manchester research institute integrating biotechnology, chemistry, and engineering across industrial and biomedical applications. Comparable to NBIC as a UK academic-led interdisciplinary biotech research hub with industry partnerships and translational focus.

Others

• BioIndustry Association (BIA): BIA is the UK trade association for the life sciences and biotech industry, representing companies across therapeutics, diagnostics, and industrial biotech. Comparable to NBIC as a UK biotech ecosystem enabler, though operating as an industry association rather than a research hub; relevant context for NBIC's policy engagement and industry member ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-biofilms-innovation-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors6 records

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M&A

Investments1 record

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Frequently asked questions about National Biofilms Innovation Centre