These Graphene Products Were All Developed In Manchester

Since it was first isolated by two professors working at the University of Manchester, graphene has been hailed as a kind of wonder material. The 2D material is just one layer of atoms thick. Professors Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselov first isolated the material by peeling individual layers off graphite using Scotch Tape. Their work, which was recognised with a Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010, kickstarted a love affair between graphene and Manchester which has led to some remarkable discoveries and developments in the city. Today, experts reckon that the market for Graphene-based products could be worth £500m by 2020. The materials super-strength, super lightweight, super conductive properties make the material useful for lots of different applications, including in electronics, sensors, membranes, engineering and much more. Manchester was the world’s first modern industrial city, now experts from the University of Manchester and local government are trying to create the world’s first Graphene City. By attracting scientists, manufacturers, engineers, innovators and entrepreneurs, the city hopes to cast itself on the forefront of these innovations. The National Graphene Institute (NGI) and the soon to be built Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) form the backbone of the innovation ecosystem in Manchester. They will reinforce Manchester’s position as a global leading knowledge-base in research and commercialisation. They have already been at the centre point of some hugely significant innovations as we shall see.