WETEX and Dubai Solar Show 2023

Professor James Baker, CEO of Graphene@Manchester, will be a keynote speaker at the WETEX and Dubai Solar Show 2023, where he will speak about the opportunities for advanced materials such as Graphene (an icon of UK innovation, discovered at the University and which led to the award of a Nobel prize) to support the achievement of sustainability goals – including in the UAE. James Baker will be speaking within the ‘Educational and Innovation Zone’ at WETEX.
Presentation: The University Programs for Advancing Sustainability Goals – Opportunities for Advanced materials
Day: Wednesday, November 15th
Time: 12:20-12:45pm
Location: Educational and Innovation Zone, WETEX
Graphene – originally isolated at The University of Manchester, the global ‘home of graphene’ – has the potential to deliver transformational technologies. Abu Dhabi plays an important role within the graphene eco-system in which Masdar (a leader in sustainable development) and Khalifa University of Science and Technology are partnering with Graphene@Manchester on research and commercialisation.
Abu Dhabi is set to be among the first cities in the world to benefit from graphene as the Emirate looks to build an even more sustainable future. Masdar is an investor in one of the University’s flagship facilities, the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) which directly supports graphene commercialisation and is based at the purpose-built Masdar Building at the University.
There have been several recent Graphene-related developments in the UAE.
In 2023, a spin-out company from the graphene innovation ecosystem at The University of Manchester formed an international partnership that will spearhead an unprecedented scale-up of graphene-based technologies intended “to make a substantial impact on global CO2 emissions”. UK-based Graphene Innovations Manchester Ltd (GIM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Quazar Investment Company to create a new company in the UAE. This exciting UK-UAE partnership will be one of the most ambitious projects to date to commercialise graphene as it fast-tracks cutting-edge R&D into large-scale manufacture – an investment vision worth a total of $1billion. This new venture will develop and produce premium, environmentally-friendly products using advanced 2D materials, including breakthrough graphene-enhanced concrete that does not need cement or water and can be made using recycled materials.
Universities are playing a key role in advanced and 2D materials. In November 2022, Khalifa and Manchester Universities announced a pioneering partnership to drive Graphene innovation in the race to tackle big global challenges. The ambitious partnership between Abu Dhabi-based Khalifa University of Science and Technology and The University of Manchester was agreed with the aim to deliver a funding boost to graphene innovation that will help tackle the planet’s big challenges, such as providing clean drinking water for millions of people and supporting a circular ‘green economy’ in all parts of the world.
This international partnership will further accelerate Abu Dhabi’s and Manchester’s world-leading research and innovation into graphene and other 2D materials. As well as the research and innovation activity, Khalifa University’s Research & Innovation Center for Graphene and 2D Materials (RIC-2D) programme will support the development of people, including early-career researchers who will benefit from the real-world experience of working on the joint R&D programme. There will also be opportunities for post-graduate students, including the exchange of PhD students and researchers.
Graphene has the potential to transform strategically important sectors in Abu Dhabi and the region, including:
- Construction – the use of Graphene in concrete can make it stronger, more water-resistant and eco-friendly
- Water filtration – Graphene-based membranes are the perfect barrier capable of separating two liquids and can block even the smallest atom
- Transport – Graphene has many applications from the ‘lightweighting’ of vehicles to improving the performance of electrified powertrains or high-tech transport infrastructure
- Energy Storage – Graphene has a very high surface area and has the highest theoretical electrical conductivity of any material – ideal for improving energy storage devices such as batteries and supercapacitors.
James and partners in the University of Manchester’s graphene ecosystem are preparing to attend the upcoming COP28 event scheduled to take place in the UAE. James expressed, “our strong connections with our Abu Dhabi partners, such as Khalifa University and Masdar, have played a pivotal role in advancing world-class research and innovative activities related to graphene at The University of Manchester. This partnership has been particularly instrumental in advancing the commercialisation of 2D materials within our facilities at the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre. I look forward to contributing to promoting the strides we’ve made with graphene and 2D materials and their connections to sustainability during COP28. Additionally, I’m excited to provide support to our partners who are rapidly expanding and securing investments in the region to bring about positive change.”
Last Updated on 12 months by News Desk 1