Periodic Reporting for period 1 - GrapheneEU (Graphene: Europe in the Lead Coordination and Support Action)
Reporting period: 2023-10-01 to 2025-03-31
The Graphene Flagship (GF) aims at advancing Europe’s strategic autonomy in technologies that rely on graphene and other 2D materials and sustaining the first-mover advantage that Europe has obtained through earlier investments. This goal is being pursued by 13 Research and Innovation Actions (“RIA/IAs” or the “projects”) conducting R&I on composite materials, electronics and photonics, biomedical technologies, energy, 2D materials of tomorrow and safety by design. The overall coherence of the initiative is guaranteed by GrapheneEU (CSA), that allows the separate actions to exploit synergies in their scientific and technological activities and rely on common services that allow the GF to reach its goals more efficiently and broadly than would be possible for a collection of fully independent projects.
GrapheneEU builds upon the experience and expertise of a consortium in charge of the central support and coordination functions of the GF in the past ten years, with access to a broad network of researchers and organisations. This CSA will ensure a strong and coherent initiative by providing key support functions in coordination and governance, industrialisation, dissemination, and alignment, enabling the projects to identify and utilise synergies in their work, share best practices, and promote interactions with relevant initiatives.
GrapheneEU builds upon the experience and expertise of a consortium in charge of the central support and coordination functions of the GF in the past ten years, with access to a broad network of researchers and organisations. This CSA will ensure a strong and coherent initiative by providing key support functions in coordination and governance, industrialisation, dissemination, and alignment, enabling the projects to identify and utilise synergies in their work, share best practices, and promote interactions with relevant initiatives.
COORDINATION AND GOVERNANCE
GrapheneEU is handling the overall coordination of the GF, its governance structure – the Coordination Board -, external representation – through the GF Director -, as well as the promotion of knowledge and experience exchange within its projects. This CSA has organised the GF Kick-off Meeting and Annual Meeting to gather the community; on-line workshops for knowledge exchange; and two Science and Technology Fora to discuss the GF’s common voice. Collaboration agreements and Ways of Working to facilitate the information exchange with the Projects have been developed. Moreover, it has monitored the implementation of the GF and the projects’ progress, played a key role in the IAM4EU discussions, and provided the projects with central legal and IT support.
GrapheneEU has launched and lead the Working Group Project Managers Network, and two committees (REACH-ECHA committee and the Committee of Initial Members of the GF Community) that have become central in the implementation of some key activities, reaching the entire community.
EUROPEAN AND INTERNATIONAL ALIGNMENT
GrapheneEU provides key support for the 2D materials (2DM) community engagement, by proactively promoting and supporting the engagement of the GF with relevant stakeholders – aligned with the GF but not part of the RIA/IAs - at EU and international level, to exploit synergies and create opportunities for interaction and scientific collaboration.
GrapheneEU has set up and started implementing a new Association Mechanism framework, bringing 12 projects and 40 organisations from 18 different EU countries closer to the GF. It has also continued the collaboration with FLAG-ERA; launched a network of national and thematic representatives to facilitate contacts with relevant stakeholders and initiatives; and provided support to continue existing dialogue with overseas countries.
DISSEMINATION
GrapheneEU has worked to ensure visibility for the GF by engaging the initiative’s key audiences from researchers and industry to decision-makers, the media and the public. It has coordinated dissemination and communication activities across the RIA/IAs to ensure a greater reach through a unified voice. It has coordinated quarterly joint social media campaigns, centralised the news creation covering cross-cutting topics, and produced the Annual Report.
GrapheneEU has achieved these objectives through the formation of a Dissemination working group with representatives from all the projects, a common GF website and social media channels and events for the 2D materials community. The project has also organised Graphene Week; supported early career researchers; managed the Diversity in Graphene initiative; and coordinated the GF presence at EC events.
INDUSTRIALISATION
GrapheneEU supports the RIA/IAs in their commercialisation efforts, keeps up-to-date of market trends and activities in relevant areas and promotes the GF in networking events. The connections between the innovation bodies in the various projects are galvanised through the Innovation Working Group. Within Graphene Week, GrapheneEU has organised the Innovation Forum, focused on innovation and commercialisation of applications containing 2D materials.
A Graphene Roadmap Working Group has been created to assemble designated Roadmap Officers of all involved project. This forum is the primary venue for exchange on roadmap methodology, progress and results within the GF.
This CSA has also worked to consolidate the dialogue between enterprises, especially SMEs, about their needs concerning standardisation and regulation, and encourage the industrial partners to participate in the standardisation process. GrapheneEU is providing a link between the projects and the international standardisation committees, and regulatory bodies (ECHA, OECD). The Standardisation Working Group and the standarisation committee help channelling these activities.
GrapheneEU is handling the overall coordination of the GF, its governance structure – the Coordination Board -, external representation – through the GF Director -, as well as the promotion of knowledge and experience exchange within its projects. This CSA has organised the GF Kick-off Meeting and Annual Meeting to gather the community; on-line workshops for knowledge exchange; and two Science and Technology Fora to discuss the GF’s common voice. Collaboration agreements and Ways of Working to facilitate the information exchange with the Projects have been developed. Moreover, it has monitored the implementation of the GF and the projects’ progress, played a key role in the IAM4EU discussions, and provided the projects with central legal and IT support.
GrapheneEU has launched and lead the Working Group Project Managers Network, and two committees (REACH-ECHA committee and the Committee of Initial Members of the GF Community) that have become central in the implementation of some key activities, reaching the entire community.
EUROPEAN AND INTERNATIONAL ALIGNMENT
GrapheneEU provides key support for the 2D materials (2DM) community engagement, by proactively promoting and supporting the engagement of the GF with relevant stakeholders – aligned with the GF but not part of the RIA/IAs - at EU and international level, to exploit synergies and create opportunities for interaction and scientific collaboration.
GrapheneEU has set up and started implementing a new Association Mechanism framework, bringing 12 projects and 40 organisations from 18 different EU countries closer to the GF. It has also continued the collaboration with FLAG-ERA; launched a network of national and thematic representatives to facilitate contacts with relevant stakeholders and initiatives; and provided support to continue existing dialogue with overseas countries.
DISSEMINATION
GrapheneEU has worked to ensure visibility for the GF by engaging the initiative’s key audiences from researchers and industry to decision-makers, the media and the public. It has coordinated dissemination and communication activities across the RIA/IAs to ensure a greater reach through a unified voice. It has coordinated quarterly joint social media campaigns, centralised the news creation covering cross-cutting topics, and produced the Annual Report.
GrapheneEU has achieved these objectives through the formation of a Dissemination working group with representatives from all the projects, a common GF website and social media channels and events for the 2D materials community. The project has also organised Graphene Week; supported early career researchers; managed the Diversity in Graphene initiative; and coordinated the GF presence at EC events.
INDUSTRIALISATION
GrapheneEU supports the RIA/IAs in their commercialisation efforts, keeps up-to-date of market trends and activities in relevant areas and promotes the GF in networking events. The connections between the innovation bodies in the various projects are galvanised through the Innovation Working Group. Within Graphene Week, GrapheneEU has organised the Innovation Forum, focused on innovation and commercialisation of applications containing 2D materials.
A Graphene Roadmap Working Group has been created to assemble designated Roadmap Officers of all involved project. This forum is the primary venue for exchange on roadmap methodology, progress and results within the GF.
This CSA has also worked to consolidate the dialogue between enterprises, especially SMEs, about their needs concerning standardisation and regulation, and encourage the industrial partners to participate in the standardisation process. GrapheneEU is providing a link between the projects and the international standardisation committees, and regulatory bodies (ECHA, OECD). The Standardisation Working Group and the standarisation committee help channelling these activities.
By supporting the RIA/IAs in their commercialisation efforts or facilitating their connections with the innovation bodies, GrapheneEU provides key innovation support to build a robust complex industrial ecosystem linking layers of materials producers, component manufacturers and system integrators. To grow the 2DM ecosystem in Europe, GrapheneEU ensures visibility and provides publicly available information about 2DMs and their applications, attracting new industries, investors, and collaborators. Moreover, the project supports young researchers; uses the Diversity in Graphene initiative to raise awareness of inequalities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); and participates in the IGE-day.
Its Association Mechanism promotes exchanges and an inclusive environment within the 2DM community, engaging relevant stakeholders from the interdisciplinary European research and industrial community.
All these efforts enable the growth of companies working with graphene, create jobs, and strengthen Europe's strategic autonomy and sustain the first-mover advantage in 2DM spearheaded by the GF since 2013.
Its Association Mechanism promotes exchanges and an inclusive environment within the 2DM community, engaging relevant stakeholders from the interdisciplinary European research and industrial community.
All these efforts enable the growth of companies working with graphene, create jobs, and strengthen Europe's strategic autonomy and sustain the first-mover advantage in 2DM spearheaded by the GF since 2013.