The National Graphene Institute

We propose the creation of a National Graphene Institute at The University of Manchester to exploit the UK's leading scientific position in graphene, to build on previous and future UK discoveries in this area, to commercialise them and to create sustainable economic value and competitive advantage for the UK. The National Institute would work closely with founding UK partners and with new centres of excellence in graphene research. The key discoveries on graphene have been made in Manchester, as recognised, for example, by the 2010 Nobel Prize and many other international awards. Manchester continues to be distinguished by ongoing frequent breakthroughs on the subject and the critical mass of graphene researchers, as highlighted by the number of citations for graphene-related research papers. The Graphene Institute will house state-of the-art facilities, laboratories and business services to be shared with commercial and academic partners and to support and nurture application and commercialisation of ongoing developments. The interaction between all collaborators will also stimulate and accelerate the pace of scientific discovery in the Institute. Graphene offers the potential for early commercialisation and for long-term pervasive application. The Institute aims to transcend typical divisions between stages of technological development and provide a model for future seamless dissemination and application of new technologies in the UK. Training research students as future business leaders to establish and run their own companies is an integral part of the Institute's programme. The Institute will also provide the foundation and required leadership for the growth of a 'hub and network' model of expertise and commercialisation throughout the nation. We request £38M towards the capital cost (total cost £45M) of the Hub, which will lever further external funds. This is the next key step in Manchester and the UK's exciting and ambitious long-term vision. The Institute will capitalise on the UK's international leadership in the field and will act as a catalyst to build on UK collaborations, spawn new businesses, attract global companies and translate the value of scientific discovery into economic growth and job creation. It will also be an important step in rebalancing the UK economy. It would link up cutting-edge science with new commercial products to make sure that the development path is as short as possible. Economic benefit will flow, not only through fast-growing start-up companies, but also by accelerating the growth of existing corporates particularly in the areas of aerospace, chemicals, energy and electronic devices where the North West has considerable strength; this proposal has very strong support from the City of Manchester. The GIH will also become a magnet for venture capital investment as the potential low production costs of graphene presents an attractive value proposition for investors.