University of Leeds and P&G join forces

The University of Leeds and multinational consumer goods company Procter & Gamble (P&G) have signed a strategic agreement that will harness academic research to develop new high-tech products. P&G and the University have a longstanding partnership, with more than 20 joint research projects currently under way, but the new Declaration of Strategic Relationship will more thoroughly integrate the two organisations’ planning and operations. Sir Alan Langlands, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds, said: “This is a new way of getting University researchers and industrialists working together. The objective is to build teams across both organisations that can respond very flexibly to business, research and educational opportunities. A distinctive feature of the partnership is its innovative approach to getting collaborations working on the ground. Within P&G, a dedicated Connect+Develop Board—part of the Company’s commitment to open innovation collaboration— identifies the potential academics partners for key projects, while university researchers also are encouraged to approach P&G with ideas. With intellectual property and confidentiality issues already covered by the strategic partnership agreement, work can get under way quickly.