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Prize fund available for novel applications of graphene and other 2D materials

27 Mar 2020

The Masood Enterprise Centre has opened its annual Eli & Britt Harari Graphene Enterprise Award competition, which offers a £70,000 prize fund for novel ideas involving graphene and other 2D materials that have the potential to be commercialised

This prestigious award, in association with Nobel Laureate Sir Andre Geim, is awarded each year to help the implementation of commercially-viable business proposals from students, post-doctoral researchers and recent graduates of The University of Manchester based on developing the commercial prospects of graphene and other 2D materials.

The award acts as seed funding to enable budding entrepreneurs to take the first steps towards turning their novel idea into a reality. It recognises the impact that high-level, flexible, early-stage financial support has in the successful development of a business.

Prizes of £50,000 and £20,000 will be awarded to the individuals or teams who can best demonstrate how their technology relating to graphene and other 2D materials can be applied to a viable commercial opportunity.

Last year saw winning teams address key societal challenges on future energy and food security. They sought breakthroughs by using 2D materials to produce hydrogen to generate energy, and by designing polymer hydrogels to increase food production.

As in previous years, winners will also receive valuable tailored support from groups across our University, including the new state-of-the-art R&D facility, the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC); its leading support infrastructure for entrepreneurs, the Masood Enterprise Centre; as well as wider networks to help the winners take the first steps towards commercialising these early-stage ideas.

The award is co-funded by the North American Foundation for The University of Manchester through the support of one of our University’s former physics students, Dr Eli Harari, founder of global flash-memory giant, SanDisk, and his wife, Britt. It recognises the role that high-level, flexible, early-stage financial support can play in the successful development of a business targeting the full commercialisation of a product or technology related to research in graphene and 2D materials.