The commercialisation of graphene electronics

Hjelt leads the Innovation Working Group for the Graphene Flagship and is a member of its board, in addition to his role as a Director at Graphene Flagship partner Chalmers Industriteknik (CIT). Döscher is a project manager and senior researcher at the Emerging Technologies department of partner Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI and leads the Roadmap Working Group efforts for the Graphene Flagship initiative.

After the Fraunhofer team completed a meta-analysis of the global graphene market, the authors were approached by the journal to explore their aggregated insights. This led to a deep dive into graphene electronics using roadmapping and an innovation and business lens, a perspective offered by Hjelt and the CIT team.

“Our 3I approach to roadmapping explores the formation of novel value-chains. Thus, we engage with present and prospective stakeholders to develop a vision for specific applications of graphene, for instance in the electronics sector” (Henning Döscher).

“While the innovation team works to bring the specifics forward through business opportunities and partnerships” (Kari Hjelt adds).

The article highlights the importance of collaboration between research and industry partners and includes a strategic roadmap that guides in the transition from lab to commercialisation. The critical element of collaboration is apparent and demonstrated by the increase in industrial partners within the Graphene Flagship from 30% in 2013 to 46% in 2022; in addition to the creation of 20 spin-off companies.

“For the commercialisation of graphene and related materials, it is important that industrial perspectives and requirements inform the discussions in the research community. In the Graphene Flagship, this process was guided by a dedicated innovation roadmap process and through careful monitoring of the market landscape” (Henning Döscher).

The article also points to challenges, which include scaling-up and commercialisation, despite the immense potential of graphene in electronics. The graphene market has been growing consistently over the past several years, however, most of the growth is still confined to the laboratories. Yet the potential for graphene in next-generation electronics is promising, and the graphene market is projected to grow significantly, with a potential size of USD 1.5 billion by 2027.

The decisive message communicated throughout the article, is that bridging the gap between research and industry is crucial for commercial success.