The National Graphene Association (NGA), the main organization and body in the US advocating and promoting the commercialization of graphene, has joined the Graphene Engineering and Innovation Centre (GEIC) at the University of Manchester as a new affiliate partner.
Graphene, dubbed the wonder material of the 21st century, was discovered in 2004 by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov at the University of Manchester. The University of Manchester is home to an innovation ecosystem that includes National Graphene Institute (NGI) and GEIC.
The purpose of the £60m GEIC is to foster the commercialization of graphene by providing cutting edge international research and technology facility. Affiliate partners will participate in a proactive effort to assist in expanding the graphene community and increase the value in future graphene products and innovations.
This U.S.-U.K. partnership signifies an important step for global commercialization of graphene. Executive Director of NGA, Zina Jarrahi Cinker said: “Graphene is a global material. This valuable partnership provides a path for graphene stakeholders in the two countries to connect with resources, services and business opportunities that will expedite the commercialisation of graphene globally.”
“The Affiliate Membership programme is a key network which will allow our Tier 1 and Tier 2 partners to access the further systems and know-how they need to facilitate their projects and benefit from working with graphene.”
“We provide world-leading graphene, materials expertise and state-of-the-art equipment and our affiliate network can help provide IP advice, specialist recruitment, business support and other resources to add value and accelerate the time to market,” said James Baker, CEO of Graphene Manchester.
NGA will be joined in this partnership with, Michael Page, Mewburn Ellis LLP, Potter Clarkson, and TransitionPlus. GEIC will open officially in December 2018.
