Graphene Week 2023: Sustainable by Design

As one of our co-chairs, Anna Andersson from ABB says, ‘my vision for Graphene Week 2023 is that it really feels like the grand finale of the Graphene Flagship Core 3 and the culmination of the 10-year anniversary of the Graphene Flagship. It will be educational, inspiring and celebratory. I also hope that participants will see and feel the sustainability theme in all the scientific and social events.’

Last year’s conference saw 497 participants, 101 speakers, 12 exhibitors and 398 poster presentations in Munich, Germany.

This year’s conference will return to the home of the Graphene Flagship- Gothenburg, Sweden.

Graphene Week 2023 will have two chairs – Patrik Johansson, the Vice Director for the Graphene Flagship and Professor in Physics at Chalmers University of Technology and Anna Andersson, the Senior Principal Scientist at ABB. With numerous actors from both academia and industry, participants will experience the important and vibrant juxtaposition between industry and academia. According to Johansson, ‘As chairs we want to make Graphene Week 2023 a very inclusive event - there should something for everyone interested in graphene and 2D materials. With a special emphasis on sustainability, we can stress how we as a community can contribute today and tomorrow to a better world’. Andersson adds, ‘Graphene Week is not a regular conference, but really an event where academy and industry can meet and interact and listen to good scientific talks, as well as hear about innovation and success stories, and look at new products, prototypes and demonstrators coming from the Graphene Flagship’s Work Packages and Spearhead projects.’

The many facets of sustainability

With sustainability at the core of the conference, what better place to hold the event than Europe’s centre of sustainability – Gothenburg, Sweden! Gothenburg has been named the world’s most sustainable destination (out of over 70 other cities) by the Global Destination Sustainability Index for the sixth year in a row. Sustainability in multiple dimensions such as ecological, social and economic are measured. Furthermore, Gothenburg is one of the cities with the greenest hotels in the world, with about 95% of all hotels being environmentally friendly. In addition to that, 97% of its public transport runs on renewable energy.

The past decade has seen many developments and applications for graphene in various fields. The Graphene Flagship has been working with multiple institutions, enterprises and governments around the world. These various working groups have pledged to work towards the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the EU Green Deal. The versatile nature of Graphene coupled with the ever-increasing need for new technologies to ensure sustainable access to things such as clean energy, clean water and sanitation, it seems only natural that the theme of this year’s conference should be sustainability.

There will be something for everyone

This year’s conference, as with previous years, will have active participation from both academia and industry. It will comprise five days of presentations, panel discussions, fringe sessions, poster sessions and so much more. With representatives from various backgrounds from both academia and industry, we are confident there will be something for everyone. When asked what he is looking forward to most at Graphene Week 2023, Johansson says, ‘Meeting everyone! Science is to me a very social activity. It prospers when new perspectives are added. And I do really enjoy walking around at the poster sessions talking to the next generation of graphene and 2D materials researchers. They are the future!’.

There will also be an opportunity to speak with a career coach at the Graphene Week 2023. Interested early career researchers will have the opportunity to book a one-on-one session with them to discuss career prospects, questions and thoughts that each individual might have. There are limited spots and early abstract submitters will be given priority when booking sessions with them. 100 student grants are also available to the early-bird and regular applicants. Eligible students will enjoy a 300 Euros discount from the delegates’ fee. Further information on the grant can be found here. The deadline for application is 2 June 2023.

Graphene Innovation Forum

Aside from the talks and poster sessions, Graphene Week is also home to the Graphene Innovation Forum. The Graphene Innovation Forum is focused on innovation and commercialisation of applications containing GRMs. It is an opportunity to hear about successful implementation of graphene from both start-ups and larger corporations. The forum will see presentations from the Graphene Flagship Spearhead projects as well as panel discussions looking at future opportunities with graphene applications. Sofia Öiseth, Outreach Manager for the Graphene Flagship Innovation Work Package and organiser of the Graphene Innovation Forum, says, ‘The aim is for people to network, learn about the latest developments in the commercialisation of graphene and related materials and come up with ideas for future collaboration. It will be a mix of presentations with focus on industry successes, needs and challenges. For example, we will hear presentations about the latest developments for the Graphene Flagship Spearhead projects and start-up companies.’

Additionally, there will be a group of investors who will give their views on GRMs. Above all, this would be a splendid opportunity to network and discuss potential ideas with both the speakers and other attendees. According to Sofia Öiseth, the highlight of the Graphene Innovation forum for her is, ‘the opportunity to meet new people interested in commercialisation of GRMs and catch up and hear about the progress from my established network’.

Social Programme

It is not going to be all work and no play at Graphene Week 2023. There will also be an exciting social programme planned for all participants. There will be dinners organised to allow the participants to come together, network and mingle. The city of Gothenburg is celebrating 400 years this year. Hence there will be a variety of activities going on around the city. For example, the city will be holding its first marathon on 3rd September 2023. The Graphene Flagship will support up to ten Graphene Week attendees to participate in this marathon. The Graphene Flagship will cover the registration fee, worth 1200kr, and provide a shirt for each interested runner registered to attend Graphene Week.

So, what are you waiting for? Register or submit your abstract today for the chance to experience and reflect on how we have and continue to at Graphene Week 2023!