Taking graphene from wonder material to real-world technologies

“It surprises me that people are still interested in graphene,” Kostya Novoselov told attendees at the launch of the  second world class graphene centre in Manchester, UK. Novoselov was awarded the 2010 Nobel laureate for his work isolating the material alongside Andre Geim at the University of Manchester. His remark highlights how unusual it is for an area of research to be simultaneously prolific in both fundamental discovery while also finding its foothold in industry. That two institutes dedicated to both aspects of the same material have found room to coexist in one city speaks volumes about the continued perceived potential of research in graphene and related materials, as well as the investment they still manage to attract. Can it outlive the hype? The level-headed engineers and partners at the Graphene Engineering and Innovation Centre (GEIC) put forward a convincing case that it can.