MGAM agrees graphene partnership with Manchester University

5th Aug 2014 14:40

Morgan Advanced Materials has agreed a partnership with The University of Manchester to develop a process for manufacturing graphene, the 'wonder material' developed by the university's scientists. The company's shares were up 1.6% on Tuesday to 320.05p on the announcement, which will see Morgan's material scientists based full time at the university.Next year the £61m National Graphene Institute will open at the university, where the scientific discovery was made in 2004, earnings its inventors the Nobel Prize in Physics.Morgan's chief technology officer Mike Murray said the company would work closely with academics "to understand the manufacturing mechanism and properties of graphene, helping us explore the applications where the technology can be used for optimum benefit".Graphene is a super-thin, highly conductive material that Morgan believes can, with further research and testing, "change the way we think about electrical and chemical engineering". The help of the University's researchers will explore the full potential of the substance.The university's innovation chief Clive Rowland said that "to explore and fully exploit the properties of graphene, commercial partnerships are vital. I am very pleased with our collaboration with Morgan, which is based around an intellectual property project that we have taken to the proof-of-principle stage".JF