The European Commission announced that G24 Power is one of 66 new partners invited to participate in the Graphene Flagship, which it describes as one of the largest ever European research initiatives.
The influx means there are now 140 organisations from 23 countries taking part.
The other new UK partners are University College London, Imperial College London, Amalyst, the University of Sheffield, the University of Nottingham, the University of Sunderland, Queen Mary University of London and BAE Systems.
Neelie Kroes, vice-president of the European Commission, welcomed the news.
She said: “Europe is leading the graphene revolution. This wonder material has the potential dramatically to improve our lives: it stimulates new medical technologies, such as artificial retinas, and more sustainable transport with light and ultra-efficient batteries. “The more we can unlock the potential of graphene, the better.”
Professor Jari Kinaret is professor of physics at the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden and director of the Graphene Flagship. He said: “The response was overwhelming, which is an indicator of the recognition for and trust in the flagship effort throughout Europe. Competition has been extremely tough.”I am grateful for the engagement by the applicants and our nearly 60 independent expert reviewers who helped us through this process. I am impressed by the high quality of the proposals we received and looking forward to working with all the new partners to realise the goals of the Graphene Flagship.”
G24 Power designs and makes a next-generation photovoltaic technology known as Dye Sensitised Solar Cells. The company’s head office, and its main factory, is located in Newport.
Graphene will be up for discussion at the Insider Made in the UK Conference, which takes place in Liverpool between Monday, 21 July and Tuesday, 22 July 2014. James Baker, business director of the National Graphene Institute at Manchester University, is one of the speakers at the Advanced Materials in the UK session on day two of the conference.