Graphene Flagship encourages collaborations
Industries, academic research centres, and funding agencies will come together to launch the Graphene Flagship project. It intends to encourage the research in the field of 2-dimension crystals, especially graphene, for industrial use.
Since the research of Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov in 20041, research in the field of the 2-dimension crystals is showing fast progress. In particular, graphene intrigues scientists because of its structure: a one-atom thick layer of carbon arranged in a honeycomb shape. The properties of graphene are numerous and unique, especially its mechanical stiffness, strength and elasticity, its electrical and thermal conductivity, its optical activity, its chemical inertia, and its impermeability to gases.
The Graphene Flagship intends to ease the transfer of knowledge from fundamental and academic research to industrial technologies. For instance, graphene with its high mechanical stiffness would allow its use for ultra strong composite materials, e.g. in the aeronautic industry.
The Graphene Flagship will combine a collaborative project and a network joining national research initiatives [ERA-NET+]. The participation in the ERA-NET+ will be based on an open, competitive call. So far, 700 groups have joined the Flagship representing an estimated 4,000 European researchers.
The Flagship will focus on selected topics where Europe can make a difference, both in terms of the underlying science and the possibility to exploit the research results commercially. These areas include printable and flexible electronics, high-frequency electronics, novel devices taking advantage of the specificities of graphene, spintronics, photonic and plasmonic components, and integrated optoelectronic systems.
The International conference Series in Graphene has been taking place in Europe since 2011, and next year it will be located in Toulouse, France, headquarter of AIRBUS industries, which is a member of the Flagship consortium. The 2014 edition of the conference will be held from 6 to 9 May 2014. Information about this conference is available in its website.
Read more on the Graphene Flagship website.
- Novoselov, K.S., Geim A.K., et al., Electric field effect in atomically thin carbon films. Science 306, 666–669 (2004) [↩]
