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At a juncture when the economic situation has given scientists in Europe very little to smile about, the European Commission could not have better timed a new initiative that promises to deliver a healthy kick to materials research. Launched in October last year, the European Union (EU) Graphene Flagship is a 10-year, billion-euro (1.37 billion US dollars) project bringing together scientists and engineers across borders with the aim of generating technological breakthroughs around graphene and related materials.
When asked whether the purpose of the project is scientific or economic, Jari Kinaret of Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, and head of the flagship project, said, "It really is both." The European Commission's hope is that this investment might stimulate industrial applications that have a knock-on effect on European economies, creating fresh jobs and much-needed growth.
When developing the proposal, Kinaret said, "Scientific quality was certainly the decisive factor, but the fact that we could argue for the economic impact was also important."
The flagship is one of two--the other focusing on the human brain--that demonstrate Europe's commitment to emerging areas of science that show a great deal of technological promise. Graphene is yet to realize the apparently...