GraphCat: The Graphene Community of Catalonia
The Catalan Regional Research and Innovation Strategy aims to establish Catalonia as an international reference in graphene research
RIS3CAT, the Catalan Government’s regional research and innovation strategy for smart specialisation, aims to orient the productive sector of the Catalan economy toward a smarter, more sustainable and integrated economic model. GraphCat, scientifically and technically coordinated by ICREA Professors Jose Garrido (ICN2) and Frank Koppens (ICFO), is part of this strategic plan, aiming to promote a strong community to develop cutting-edge graphene technologies for and by Catalan industry.
Work to build and coordinate the activities of the community began in December 2017 in a kick-off meeting of Catalonia-based stakeholders to discuss strategies for how the region can consolidate its leadership in the international graphene-based technologies market.
The main activity of the GraphCAT Community is to curate and develop a project portfolio that simultaneously drives progress and showcases regional excellence. To this end, the coordinators have established a simple process for submitting GraphCAT project proposals for possible co-funding in a near future. All projects should be aimed at the development of new graphene technologies and applications that lead to new products and services.
**GraphCat is co-funded by the European Regional Development Funds (ERDF) allocated to the Programa operatiu FEDER de Catalunya 2014-2020, with the support of the Secretaria d’Universitats i Recerca of the Departament d’Empresa i Coneixement of the Generalitat de Catalunya for emerging technology clusters devoted to the valorization and transfer of research results (GraphCAT 001-P-001702).