New Graphene Flagship partners announced

To coincide with Graphene Week 2014, the European Commission has announced that the Graphene FET Flagship, one of the largest-ever European research initiatives, is doubling in size. 66 new partners are being invited to join the consortium following the results of a €9m competitive call.

While most partners are universities and research institutes, the share of companies, mainly SMEs, involved is increasing. This shows the growing interest of economic actors in graphene. The partnership now includes more than 140 organisations from 23 countries. It is set to take graphene and related layered materials from academic laboratories to everyday use.

Vice-President of the European Commission Neelie Kroes, responsible for the Digital Agenda, welcomed the extended partnership: “Europe is leading the graphene revolution. This ‘wonder material’ has the potential to dramatically improve our lives: it stimulates new medical technologies, such as artificial retinas, and more sustainable transport with light and ultra-efficient batteries. The more we can unlock the potential of graphene, the better.”

The 66 new partners come from 19 countries, six of which are new to the consortium: Belarus, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, and Israel.

Professor Jari Kinaret, professor of physics at the Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, and director of the Graphene Flagship, added: “The response was overwhelming, which is an indicator of the recognition for and trust in the flagship effort throughout Europe. Competition has been extremely tough. I am grateful for the engagement by the applicants and our nearly 60 independent expert reviewers who helped us through this process. I am impressed by the high quality of the proposals we received and looking forward to working with all the new partners to realise the goals of the Graphene Flagship.”