Graphene is the strongest and thinnest material in the world, with a host of potential applications, including energy storage, electronics, smart textiles, sensors, medical devices, bio interfaces, water purification, composites and many more.
Yet despite its reputation as the “wonder material” of the 21st century, graphene investment in the US pales in comparison to Europe and China. That’s why the National Graphene Association (NGA) has been formed to promote American graphene.
“While Europe and China have been heavily and rapidly investing in the future of graphene, the U.S. lags behind in taking advantage of this game-changing material,” said Ed Meek, founder of the NGA. “We need to catch up, and we need to do it fast.”
Zina Jarrahi Cinker, a graphene scientist from Vanderbilt University, consultant and entrepreneur in the field of graphene, will serve as executive director of the association, which has offices in Oxford, Miss., Nashville, Tenn. and Washington D. C.
“This is a pivotal time for the commercialization of graphene,” said Cinker. “NGA is creating a platform that brings together current and future graphene stakeholders, drives innovation and facilitates the commercialization of graphene in the U.S. and beyond.”
As a means to further the goals of the association, NGA has launched a news and information portal, GrapheneEntrepreneur.com.
“Billed as ‘Your Daily Dose of Graphene,’ GrapheneEntrepreneur.com will be the go-to source for information on everything graphene – developments, companies and people,” said Allison Buchanan, CEO of the National Graphene Association. “For easy access to our news, we have a Graphene Entrepreneur app, which can be found here for iPhone; and here for Android.”
The association has a broad range of membership categories and programs designed to bring together all facets of the graphene industry, including researchers, government agencies and graphene companies, as well as entrepreneurs, investors and venture capitalists.
NGA will have its first industry event, a Graphene Innovation Roundtable, in early October in Nashville, Tenn. at the Music City Center.
“The October event is the first in a series,” said Meek. “These roundtable events will bring together the best of the best and will put people in the same room to have real, productive conversations across industry segments.”
To learn more about NGA and to join, visit the association website.
For graphene news, visit GrapheneEntrepreneur.com.