Graphene research gets £50m cash injection
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The Government is funding a £50million national programme to develop graphene, described by Chancellor George Osborne, pictured, as 'the strongest, thinnest and best connecting material known to science'.
Announcing the programme to the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, Osborne said the move would 'take this discovery from the British laboratory to the British factory floor'.
Graphene was discovered at the University of Manchester by Profs Andre Geim and Konstatin Novoselov, who won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics. "The inventors could have gone anywhere in the world," said Osborne, "but they chose Manchester. Now, countries are trying to lure them to move their research overseas, but they want to stay here because they say it's the best country in the world for them and their work."
Universities and Science Minister David Willetts added: "The Global Hub will ensure we win the race to develop commercial uses for [graphene]. The Hub will keep world beating research into graphene in this country. It brings researchers and the companies seeking to exploit its incredible commercial potential together. This is an excellent example of leading edge British science being harnessed to drive economic growth and the creation of high tech jobs."
