Zhejiang's graphene ambition takes off in Ningbo

A total of 22 projects are welcomed to the innovation center for the graphene industry in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, on Dec 8. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

Zhejiang province unveiled an innovation center for the graphene industry in Ningbo on Dec 8.

The center, led by the Institute of Materials Technology at the Ningbo Institute of Industrial Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is an innovation platform made possible by the joint efforts of companies, investment funds and industrial capital.

Designed to be a world-leading innovation hub, the center will feature research and development, tests and evaluations, industrial chain formation, and exchange and cooperation departments to serve and promote technological innovation in the graphene industry.

Liu Zhaoping, the head of the innovation center, said the institute has two major goals: to advance key and cutting-edge technologies, and to promote the transfer and commercialization of new technologies.

The center will also focus on meeting the needs of other industries, working to apply graphene technologies in high-tech sectors like electric automobiles and composite materials.

Graphene is the strongest material ever tested. Able to efficiently conduct heat and electricity, it has been dubbed a "super material". China's recent graphene research has entered a key phase with scientists now trying to industrialize the material.

"Zhejiang plays a leading role in China's graphene industry and we hope the innovation center in Ningbo can complete an industrial chain, propelling an upgrade of the province's and even the country's industrial structure," said Ling Yun, deputy director of Zhejiang Province Economic and Information Commission.

Ningbo is the nation's first "Made in China 2025" pilot zone and currently leads other Chinese cities in graphene applications. Ningbo vice-mayor Chen Zhongchao said the city has achieved good results from investing nearly 100 million yuan ($15 million) in support of 37 graphene-related projects over the last three years.

An initial group of 22 projects has agreed to settle at the innovation center in Ningbo, focusing on several key areas where graphene materials are expected to be widely applied.

Meanwhile, 22 Chinese academics and experts from relevant fields were appointed to a committee of experts.

New members of the committee of experts for the innovation center are appointed in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, on Dec 8. [Photo/Chinanews.com]