Liverpool Shared Research Facilities (LIV-SRF) Showcase 2026

Introducing Liverpool Shared Research Facilities’ (LIV‑SRF’s) second showcase event, highlighting the University of Liverpool’s cutting-edge technologies and specialist expertise available to both internal and external users, including researchers, industry collaborators, and commercial organisations.

Who Is It For?

• Academic and industrial researchers driving fundamental or applied research
• Industry partners and commercial organisations exploring applied research, product development, or testing capabilities
• Start‑ups and spin‑outs seeking access to specialised equipment without investing in their own laboratory infrastructure
• Consultants and service providers conducting R&D on behalf of clients
• Collaborative initiatives involving healthcare providers, charities, or non‑profits working on translational research

Join us to discover how we can help elevate your research or business projects, with LIV-SRF alongside other University facilities and equipment available for exploration. With an opening address from Vice-Chancellor Professor Tim Jones, this one-day event offers the chance to meet our specialist teams and hear detailed case studies from users who have advanced their research with integrated workflows through SRFs. Multiple exhibition sessions will provide ample opportunity to interact directly with SRF staff, as well as talks from partners in academia and industry.

Lunch is included as part of your registration.

Date and time: Wednesday, 3 June 2026, from 9:30 am to 4 pm

Venue: Mountford Hall, University of Liverpool

Innovation Investment Fortnight 2026

1 – 12 June 2026.

This event is part of the Liverpool City Region (LCR) Innovation Investment Fortnight, an annual showcase led by the LCR Combined Authority that highlights the region’s distinctive approaches, world-class assets, and £2 billion in investment opportunities - reinforcing the LCR’s position at the forefront of UK place-based innovation. Explore last year’s highlights.

Agenda

09:30 AM - 10:15 AM

Registration & coffee

10:15 AM - 10:45 AM

Opening Address and Welcome

• Professor Tim Jones, Vice‑Chancellor of the University
• Professor Ian Prior, Co‑Director of Liverpool Shared Research Facilities (LIV-SRF)

10:45 AM - 11:15 AM

Session 1: Innovation for the Future

• Using AI to Reveal a New Vaccine Target Against a Global Infectious Disease by Dr Emily Johnson, Data Scientist from the Computational Biology Facility (LIV-SRF)
• LCR Place-based Innovation: Collaborative Leadership in Action by John Whaling, Lead Officer of Innovation & Commercialisation from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority

11:15 AM - 11:45 AM

Exhibition & Networking Break

11:45 AM - 12:45 PM

Session 2: From Collaboration to Community Impact

• Multi-omics for Precision Medicine by Professor Claire Eyers, Director of the Centre for Proteome Research and APVC for Research & Impact
• Enabling Impact Through Partnership: ZEISS and Liverpool’s Shared Research Infrastructure by Mark Parsons, Zeiss
• Alternative preclinical model for translation of in vitro cancer studies: a mesothelioma case study by Dr Sarah Barnett, Facility Manager of the Egg Facility, LIV-SRF

12:45 PM - 02:15 PM

Lunch & Exhibition

02:15 PM - 03:00 PM

Session 3: Connectivity Across Digital, Laboratory, and Collaborative Environments

• Dr Andrew Collins, Head of Digital Infrastructure, Digital Research Infrastructure Team
• Turning Sunlight into Solutions: Uncovering the Secrets of Next-Generation Photocatalysts by Dr Adrian Gardner, Facility Manager of Early Career Laser Laboratory and Low Energy Ion Scattering Laboratory
• Scaling OMICS and integrating data for new insights into the skin microbiome by Mike Hoptroff, Senior Microbiome Research Manager at Unilever R&D

03:00 PM - 03:50 PM

Session 4: Partnerships in Action

• Heritage Science: Promoting deeper community engagement through analytical exploration of museum collections by Dr Peter Hommel and Charlotte Clarke, Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology
• Effective SME / University collaborations by Angela Smith, Project Manager of Innovate UK Business Growth
• LSTM Core Capabilities by Dr Sarah Roberts, Head of Faculty Operations, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine