image: This is the Graphene Pavilion at the Mobile World Congress 2016 in Barcelona. view more
Credit: ICFO / R. Josa
The Graphene Pavilion, coordinated by ICFO and the Graphene Flagship, with the support of GSMA, was a highlight at the 2016 GSMA Mobile World Congress (MWC). In total 12 research centers and 12 companies from Europe, all working with graphene-based prototypes and applications, exhibited their work for the first time to a targeted audience hungry for innovation.
The Graphene Pavilion at Mobile World Congress 2016 in Barcelona (22-25 February) has proven that graphene will have a say in the future of mobile. As John Hoffman, CEO of GSMA Ltd., stated "The graphene pavilion was a first for Mobile World Congress and attendees embraced the innovation it showcased. We look forward to a continued collaboration with the graphene community, the graphene flagship and ICFO, and thank them for their efforts in coordinating the pavilion and opening a new vision for the future of the mobile ecosystem."
Just 12 years after graphene was first isolated in the labs at Manchester University, graphene is venturing out of the laboratory and into conceivable applications. For frontier research, these advances are coming at break-neck speed. The enthusiastic reception that graphene received at MWC is a strong indicator of just how far this material has come in this short time, as well as how far we can expect it to go in the near future.
Nearly 101,000 mobile industry professionals converged in Barcelona for Mobile World Congress to witness the launch of new products and applications, and also to scout out new commercial trends and evaluate market niches for innovative products, services and applications that could inspire new technologies. During these four days of non-stop activity, the Graphene Pavilion featured 12 companies and 12 research centers showcasing graphene-based prototypes, demos and applications to a continuous stream of visitors, press and companies interested in seeing graphene at work in operational prototypes.
Coordinated by ICFO and the European Graphene Flagship, with the support of the GSMA, the Graphene Pavilion embraced five technological and innovative fields within the mobile world: display technologies, wearables; Internet of Things; energy transmission and storage; and data communications. These research centers and companies included:
Aixtron, AMO-GmbH, Avanzare, BeDimensional, BGTmaterials, Catalan Institute of NanoScience and Nanotechnology - ICN2, Centre Nacional de Microelectrònica-CNM, Chalmers University of Technology, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, FlexEnable, Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, Gnext, Graphenea, Haydale, ICFO - The Institute of Photonic Sciences, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer- IDIBAPS, Institute of Electronic Materials Technology - ITME, Italian Institute of Technology -IIT, Novalia, Nvision, Pi and Bi, The University of Manchester, University of Cambridge, Zap&Go.
ICFO's leadership in this event is a reflection of the emphasis the center places on Knowledge and Technology Transfer (KTT). Dr Silvia Carrasco, Director of the KTT unit at ICFO explains that "it is exciting to witness and facilitate such high potential connections between research and the mobile industry. This week we have seen firsthand opportunity for innovation for everyone involved."
When asked if graphene research has reached a tipping point, where it will make its long-anticipated move into products available to the average consumer, ICREA Prof. at ICFO Frank Koppens responded "We now have working prototypes which is a huge step. Whether this will 'tip' or not depends on industry joining us for the integration into real products and further pursuing economical ways of mass producing these products. From what we have seen at MWC, industry may now be ready to take this important step".
In addition, Nobel Laureate Prof Kostya Novoselov, who delivered a presentation at MWC as part of the conference's "Mobile is Innovation" keynote session, stated that "We are now part of this industry...It is very exciting for a scientist to go from doing experiments and writing papers to doing real-world applications and showcasing them in such a big gathering".
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Links
Graphene @ ICFO: http://graphene.icfo.eu/
Welcome to the Graphene Pavilion @ MWC 2016: https://youtu.be/0r1gnE-qPnA
Wearables for Fitness and Health by ICFO: https://youtu.be/cvxT_cHBYxQ
Graphene Flagship: http://graphene-flagship.eu
Knowledge and Technology Transfer at ICFO: https://www.icfo.es/people#GENERALINFORMATION2-1
The Graphene Pavilion in Pictures: https://flic.kr/s/aHskvZ7Lhv
About ICFO
ICFO - The Institute of Photonic Sciences, member of The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, is a research centre located in a specially designed, 14.000 m2-building situated in the Mediterranean Technology Park in the metropolitan area of Barcelona. It currently hosts 350 people, including research group leaders, post-doctoral researchers, PhD students, research engineers, and staff. ICFOnians are organized in 23 research groups working in 60 state-of-the-art research laboratories, equipped with the latest experimental facilities and supported by a range of cutting-edge facilities for nanofabrication, characterization, imaging and engineering.
The Severo Ochoa distinction awarded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation, as well as 13 ICREA Professorships, 18 European Research Council grants and 6 Fundació Cellex Barcelona Nest Fellowships, demonstrate the centre's dedication to research excellence, as does the institute's consistent appearance in top worldwide positions in international rankings.
The Knowledge and Technology Transfer (KTT) team at ICFO plays a key role at the interface with the industrial and corporate worlds maximizing the flow of information, knowledge, technology and talent. Through the unit's efforts, ICFO participates actively in the European Technological Platform Photonics21 and is also very proactive in fostering entrepreneurial activities and spin-off creation. The institute leads and promotes incubator activities and seeks to attract venture capital investment. It hosts an active Corporate Liaison Program that aims at creating collaborations and links between industry and ICFO researchers. To date, 5 successful start-up companies have been created at ICFO.
About Graphene Flagship
The Graphene Flagship is the EU's biggest ever research initiative. With a budget of €1 billion, it represents a new form of joint, coordinated research initiative on an unprecedented scale. Through a combined academic-industrial consortium, the research effort covers the entire value chain, from materials production to components and system integration, and targets a number of specific goals that exploit the unique properties of graphene.
Tasked with bringing together academic and industrial researchers to take graphene from the realm of academic laboratories into European society in the space of 10 years, the Graphene Flagship hopes to facilitate economic growth, new jobs and new opportunities for Europeans as both investors and employees.
If your company is interested in looking into new ways to innovate using graphene and 2D materials, contact the ICFO KKT team to discuss future collaborations. graphene@icfo.eu | ktt@icfo.eu