Announcement of four new investment strands will help the United Kingdom to lead and establish itself as a graphene research hub for commercializing novel graphene technologies.
The investments will be funded through the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). As part of the graphene hub, a new national institute for graphene research and commercialization will be established. The University of Manchester is the only supplier requested to tender a proposal for funding the national institute worth £45 million, of which the United Kingdom government will offer £38 million.
Both businesses and researchers will have access to this state-of-the-art shared facility funded by the University of Manchester and EPSRC. The institute will feature advanced equipment and facilities that simulate the actual production processes. Secondly, £12 million can be availed from the United Kingdom government to invest in graphene research equipment. EPSRC will search funding for equipment that will be accessible to both businesses and research groups and can be utilized in different disciplines.
Thirdly, another £10 million is available from the research budget of EPSRC to promote research on graphene engineering and step up the development of innovative devices, systems and technologies. It will also reinforce the position of the United Kingdom with respect to European initiatives, promising further financial support.
Finally, the TSB and EPSRC will invest roughly £10 million to establish an innovation center for businesses in order to help them in developing and commercializing promising graphene technologies and applications.
Source: http://www.manchester.ac.uk