The Graphene Flagship – Europe's collaborative R&D initiative – has announced that Netzsch, NetComposites, ABB and Imerys have joined as associate members. These four are expected to be the first of a number of similar moves to be made in the coming months.
Graphene Flagship director Professor Jari Kinaret, pictured, said: "We are very happy to welcome our first four associate members. The Flagship is much more than just the EU financed part and we are keen to form partnerships with groups that help the flagship reach its overriding goal of taking graphene and related materials from academic laboratories into society."
The Flagship says that associate membership will help to bring greater synergy with other graphene related organisations, including bodies funded by member states and various EU projects and organisations which form part of the FLAG-ERA network. The Graphene Flagship currently has 142 partners in 23 countries.
Thierry Van der Pyl, director of Excellence Science within the EC's Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, added: "We are very pleased to see the Graphene Flagship consortium associating with leading European industry, paving the way of graphene from lab to market. This is a must for moving basic research advances into concrete innovation opportunities."
ABB is a global leader in power and automation technologies, while UK based NetComposites is a research and consultancy body focusing on composite materials. Swiss based Imerys Graphite and Carbon is a leading supplier of graphite for energy storage, engineering materials and conductive polymers, while German company Netzsch specialises in mechanical grinding, milling, dispersion and deaeration.
Author
Graham Pitcher
Source: www.newelectronics.co.uk