Aug 5 2013
The Graphene Stakeholders Association (GSA) announced today that the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) has joined the association as a lifetime member. The GSA (www.graphenestakeholders.org) and NPL (www.npl.co.uk/graphene) will work closely together on fulfilling the association's mission of promoting the responsible development of graphene and graphene-enabled technologies and applications.
The GSA was launched earlier this year as a 501(c)6 enterprise headquartered in Buffalo, NY. The GSA's founders include Keith Blakely, a 35 year veteran of the advanced materials and nanotechnology community, Dr. Alan Rae, CEO of the Nano Materials Innovation Center, Vincent Caprio, Executive Director of the NanoBusiness Commercialization Association, and Stephen Waite, Managing Partner of SoundView Technology Group. Mr. Waite and Mr. Blakely serve as co-Executive Directors of the GSA.
The GSA was created to foster graphene-based education, technical collaboration, scientific exchange, and value and job creation through successful commercialization. The addition of NPL to the GSA is a key development that will bring a wealth of technical expertise and knowhow to the association that will be used to serve GSA members and organizations working closely with the GSA. "We foresee a significant role for NPL in the GSA in helping to develop common and accepted nomenclature, definitions, standard metrology and testing methods that will help foster and facilitate the development of graphene and graphene-enabled applications globally," stated GSA co-founder, Stephen Waite. "We are delighted with NPL's decision to join the GSA and look forward to working closely with Andrew Pollard and his colleagues in the months and years ahead," says Waite.
Keith Blakely, CEO of The InVentures Group (www.theinventuresgroup.com) and GSA co-founder added: "We are thrilled to bring NPL into the GSA and to engage what is arguably one of the world's leading scientific organizations in our mission. With over 500 scientists and some of the world's most sophisticated measurement laboratories, the combination of physical assets, intellectual prowess, and dedicated researchers makes NPL an ideal partner to move the GSA's mission forward."
With the addition of NPL to its membership, Dr. Pollard joins the GSA's Advisory Board and will also help in areas such as the GSA Forum on its website. Other initiatives with NPL will also be added in the future. On the NPL-GSA partnership, Andrew Pollard said: "NPL has a leading role in the development of measurement techniques and international standards for graphene and 2-D materials, and the formation of the GSA is extremely well-timed as graphene progresses from the research laboratory to commercialization. This partnership between two organizations with such well-aligned aims should enable the widely-predicted growth of a global graphene industry."
The GSA is actively seeking members from around the world to build a strong foundation that will serve to facilitate the responsible development of graphene and graphene-enabled products through collaboration and participation. The association will hold its first major event later this year in mid-October at The University of Pennsylvania in collaboration with the NanoBusiness Commercialization Association. Further information about the event is available at www.internano.org/nmsummit/ and www.graphenestakeholders.org.
Source: http://www.graphenestakeholders.org