Researched here, exploited elsewhere?
1 min read
Graphene is generally accepted to be the 'wonder material' in waiting; set to take over when silicon runs out of steam. It's a word that is hardly ever out of the news as researchers around the world look to commercialise work which is still essentially lab based.
The UK established a leading position in graphene research and the material's potential hasn't escaped the Government. At the 2011 Conservative Party conference, Chancellor George Osborne pledged £50million to support further research and commercialisation work. In particular, the money would be used to establish a global hub for graphene research.
And the investment appears to be working. A recent report in the Manchester Evening News claimed 40 global businesses have held talks with Manchester University about the possibility of locating at the hub. 'IBM, BAE Systems, Samsung and Siemens are among those to have expressed an interest' the report noted.
Manchester was selected for the hub in recognition of the pioneering work done by Dr Kostya Novoselov and Professor Andre Geim, which earned them the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics.
It's no surprise that graphene research is also being pursued aggressively in other parts of the world. Singapore is one such location, with a research centre there working on 16 projects worth $78m.
Keeping the UK at the forefront of graphene research is important, because it keeps the IP here and should open an impressive revenue stream at some time in the future. But commercialisation is equally important. Will graphene be another example of 'discovered here, exploited elsewhere'?
