From the (new) Director
The last year was nothing like any of the preceeding years for the Graphene Flagship. We celebrated the first ten years of the project as we closed Core 3, and with it the single-project structure of the Flagship. The five-day final review and the broader assesment of the past decade meant a lot of hard work by many. In the end, I think we can proudly say that we have delivered beyond expectations and given European tax-payers extremely good value for their money. It was not a true ending, but nevertheless a feeling of departure for many in the community – the end of the Graphene Flagship as we knew it.
New horizons
The past year was also a bright new beginning – the existing 2D-EPL was joined by twelve new research and innovation projects gathered under the GrapheneEU CSA to shape the future of the Graphene Flagship. The transition to this organisation, as all transitions, has meant plenty of challenges but also revitalised the awareness of who we are and why we do what we do in our community. We are not yet finished gathering up all “old” and new elements at full strength for the future endeavours of the Graphene Flagship, so we will continue that work. Combined, we truly are part of the solution to many of the problems Europe is facing at large. We will need to use not only the hard data and scientific and technological advances that we have gathered together, but perhaps even more importantly, the personal interactions that have created trust and a playground for cross-fertilisation of ideas to forge the future of 2D materials innovation. Last but not least, we should not forget that one of our “exports” in 2023 – former Graphene Flagship Director Jari Kinaret – will play a key role in establishing European industrial independence through his leadership of the Chips Joint Undertaking.
Collaborations
During 2024 we will see our community re-form and gather strength. One particularly important avenue, apart from the Graphene Flagship itself and our Graphene Week conference in Prague in October, will be the Innovative Advanced Materials for Europe partnership. This partnership, drafted with a lot of input and background from our community, is now an official "candidate partnership" in the Second Horizon Europe Strategic Plan. Indeed, looking a bit broader, there are three strategic orientations made therein by the European Commission (EC): the green transition, the digital transition, and a more resilient, competitive, inclusive and democratic Europe. For all of these, the EC stresses that securing Europe’s leading role in developing and deploying critical technologies is an overarching principle. I’m sure this is something we all can agree to work towards beyond 2024 and even beyond Horizon Europe.
Patrik Johansson
Graphene Flagship Director
Patrik Johansson, GF Director
Annual Report 2023
Explore our full annual report with a welcome address from the new director, feature articles, project bios and highlights, and an in depth dive into our 2D-EPL project complete with work packages, STO statement and more.
Annual ReportAuthor bio
Graphene Flagship
Bringing together 118 academic and industrial partners in 12 research and innovation projects and 1 coordination and support project, the Graphene Flagship initiative will continue to advance Europe’s strategic autonomy in technologies that rely on graphene and other 2D materials. The initiative, which builds on the previous 10-years of the Graphene Flagship, is funded by the European Commission’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. The 2D-Experimental Pilot Line, addressing the challenges of upscaling 2D material production processes for the semiconductor industry, is another key component of the Graphene Flagship eco-system.