Pounds 32.5m for Cambridge

British Petroleum and Unilever this week announced funding worth Pounds 32.5 million for research at the University of Cambridge, writes Kam Patel.

Unilever is giving Pounds 13 million over five years to create the Unilever Centre at Cambridge's department of chemistry. The new centre will carry out research in molecular science.

BP meanwhile plans to set up an interdisciplinary institute to carry out research in multiphase flow. It will be called the BP Institute and will investigate the flow of oil, gas and water in the earth through pipes and industrial plants.

The oil giant is planning to make funds available through a grant of Pounds 1.3 million a year for 15 years.