Three projects covering composites, sensors and membranes, will be led by researchers from both institutions. The projects will respectively explore the development of low-density graphene-based foams for various engineering applications, inkjet-printed graphene micro-sensors for energy and defence applications, and graphene-enabled ion exchange membranes for desalination.
The announcement was made by The University of Manchester’s graphene business director, James Baker and Dr Steve Griffiths, vice president of research at Masdar Institute, at the World Future Energy Summit, which is being organised as part of the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Week 2016 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).
Baker said: “Our partnership with Masdar Institute is crucial to the commercialisation of graphene and we look forward to seeing ground-breaking research into developing exciting applications with potential industrial partners as a result of this activity.”
Dr Griffiths added: “The collaboration with The University of Manchester reflects Masdar Institute’s commitment to supporting the UAE’s innovation agenda for establishing knowledge-based industries that leverage materials advances. We believe the research programme being launched will yield benefits for the UAE’s economic and strategic goals and ultimately achieve global impact.”
Meanwhile, work is progressing on schedule for the £60million Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) being constructed as part of a collaboration between The University of Manchester and Masdar.
The GEIC is expected to accelerate the arrival of graphene products in the marketplace after it is constructed by the end of 2017. Commercialisation of graphene research has already begun from projects associated with the University of Manchester’s National Graphene Institute, including graphene light-bulbs and graphene RFID tags.
