Clear air for graphene

GRAPHENE’S potential to slash carbon dioxide emissions on an industrial scale could soon make it the globe’s hottest commodity, the Australian Graphene Industry Association says.

The association is calling on State and Federal governments to support the fledgling industry’s growth in this country and to create jobs.

In his opening remarks to the AGIA Graphene + Enabled Smart

Cities Conference in Melbourne on Tuesday, association chairman Chris Gilbey said Australia had the potential to be a global powerhouse in using graphene to develop revolutionary products intrinsic to future “smart-cities”.

“We have here in Victoria an amazing resource, the leading graphene scientists in the world, but we are in danger of losing our leadership position if governments don’t step up and incentivise the industries that are prepared to commercialise graphene,” Mr Gilbey said.

“Industry is already acting to develop graphene-enabled products, but it also needs to be incentivised to develop the value-add activities and therefore jobs associated with this emerging local sector.

“It’s incumbent on policy makers to support the creation of market conditions that encourage the proliferation of our graphene innovation into global supply chains.”

Mr Gilbey, the executive chairman of North Geelong’s Imagine Intelligent Materials, said while the practical applications for graphene were almost limitless, its potential to slash carbon dioxide emissions on an industrial scale had worldwide appeal.

“This will be achieved by decoupling existing supply chains and restructuring them to include low-cost graphene,” he said.

Imagine Intelligent Materials has developed a product that enabled the creation of “smart” floors, walls and ceilings that convert data into information about how rooms are used in real time.

“The business is likely to quadruple its workforce over the next 12-18 months through demand for the graphene-based products we manufacture, which include contracts with major global manufacturers,” Mr Gilbey said.

Imagine Intelligent Materials is set to hold a showcase of its smart surface technology in Geelong on December 3.