Government graphene development funding details announced

Further light has been shed on the Government's plans to fund efforts to commercialise graphene, in the wake of the 2014 Budget.

Graphene has been touted by the electronics industry for nearly a decade as a possible replacement for silicon in computer chips.

The material is made from a one-atom thick layer of graphite and is renowned for being exceptionally strong, lightweight and flexible, and for its ability to conduct electrons faster than silicon.

However, attempts to date to commercialise the material have proven challenging.

As reported by IT Pro yesterday, the Chancellor George Osborne announced plans during his Budget speech to build a graphene research centre in the UK to address this issue.

This, he explained, will form an important part of the Government's bid to stop the UK falling behind other countries in the science, technology, engineering and manufacturing stakes.

"If Britain isn't leading the world in science and technology and engineering, then we are condemning our country to fall behind," said Osborne.

"[Graphene] is a great British discovery that we should break the habit of a lifetime with and commercially develop in Britain."

Since then, further details have started to emerge, including the fact that it will be housed at The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) and will cost 14 million to build.

The CPI is an organisation that seeks to support technology companies through the research and development stages of bringing new products to market.

The Graphene Applications Innovation Centre, as it has been dubbed, will open later this year and will provide facilities and expertise for companies that want to develop graphene-based products.

Nigel Perry, CEO of CPI, said the centre will work alongside academic institutions, manufacturers and end users to develop new uses for graphene in a variety of markets.

"The new centre will integrate with existing development facilities at CPI's printable electronics and formulation centres based at Sedefiled, Co. Durham," Perry added.