Procter & Gamble
Open innovation and constructive disruption are at the heart of our award winning strategic partnership.
About the partnership
Newcastle University and Procter & Gamble work together through a long‑standing, award‑winning research partnership that brings together world‑class academic expertise and global product‑development capability.
Based in the North East of England, the collaboration connects cutting‑edge science with real‑world application to create sustainable, high‑performance consumer products used worldwide.
Built on shared values - scientific excellence, sustainability, and open innovation - this partnership is driving impact for industry, the region, and society.
Newcastle University gives us access to expertise and talent that help us solve our most difficult technical challenges.
Developing future talent
We work closely to create opportunities that equip students and researchers with the skills, confidence, and industry experience they need to thrive. Initiatives include
- 13‑month undergraduate placements across multiple business functions
- careers events, employability activities, and guest lectures
- the MSc in Industrial and Commercial Biotechnology, co‑delivered with industry insights
- collaborative doctoral training including:
- Knowledge Transfer Partnerships that embed innovation associates within P&G
These activities build a strong talent pipeline and support the next generation of scientific leaders across biotechnology, sustainability, and advanced manufacturing.
Breakthrough research and technology
Our research partnership spans fundamental science, applied innovation, and translational development. Together, we are:
- advancing carbon capture and utilisation technologies to cut industrial emissions
- developing low‑carbon chemical pathways that support more sustainable products
- enabling behaviour‑change and household efficiency through projects like FairWater
- using microarray technologies to uncover the biology of cleaning at unprecedented scale
- harnessing artificial intelligence and large language models to accelerate product development
- pioneering biotech solutions through industrial enzyme discovery and protein engineering
Each collaboration is designed to move rapidly from insight to application, delivering solutions that are scientifically robust, scalable, and commercially impactful.
Turning science into more sustainable products
Our partnership is helping shape the next generation of consumer products by unlocking new scientific understanding and applying it to real‑world challenges.
Highlights include:
- Purezyme®, a breakthrough cold‑wash enzyme developed from seaweed‑associated bacteria, now used in Ariel products
- microfibre pollution research that reshaped global understanding of fibre loss from laundry and informed appliance design
- oral health innovations through deep molecular profiling of dental plaque
- advanced 3D skin models that aid discovery for better, more inclusive skincare technologies
Nature‑inspired science, cutting‑edge modelling, and rigorous experimentation are creating impactful, sector-leading products for for consumers across the world.
Impact for both the region and the world
Our work extends far beyond individual projects and initiatives. The partnership delivers:
- inward investment into the North East of England’s innovation ecosystem
- stronger links beyond our partnership into other parts of academia, industry, and technology
- new capability in industrial biotechnology and sustainable manufacturing
- solutions that support national and global net zero ambitions
- products and practices that help households reduce water, energy, and carbon use
As our collaboration grows, so does the impact, regionally, nationally, and globally.
Featured stories
Find out why Newcastle University won a Connect + Develop Partner Excellence award from Procter & Gamble Research and Development.
Discover how P&G worked with the National Innovation Centre for Data at Newcastle University to upskill teams and build future-ready systems.
P&G is a key partner in our Centre for Industrial Biotechnology that brings together expertise, knowledge and facilities, across the University.
Seaweed, slime and socks. Discover the fascinating development of an enzyme that improved cold water laundry detergent performance.
Our research revealed that it is the volume of water used during the wash cycle which is the key factor in the release of plastic microfibres. It is a discovery that has impacted laundry around the world.