Nanoloom produces fibre and fabric from a novel, graphene-based polymer that is high-performing, biodegradable, chemically recyclable and non-toxic. This material is an alternative to every synthetic textile currently used in apparel, which is one of the largest waste producing industries globally. The graphene-based nanocomposite material was developed and patented by Nanoloom's co-founder and scientific director. Initially created to meet stringent standards for medical applications such as membrane-based wound healing patches and fibres for nerve regeneration, the material's properties position it effectively to address the significant challenges posed by traditional synthetic textiles. It is extremely strong, elastic, lightweight and has other unique properties like moisture management and shape memory. This, along with it having been engineered to slot into existing supply chains and infrastructure for weaving and knitting, render it adoptable by an inflexible apparel industry supply chain. Nanoloom is currently producing the fibre at pilot scale, and the objectives of Nanoloom's proposal are to scale up the fibre and polymer manufacturing such that the technology can be commercialised and utilised in real garments in the market in place of environmentally problematic materials like elastane. Mills require extremely large quantities of fibre to run a single collection. Nanoloom is applying for the EIC Accelerator call to execute on this scale up stage.

Waste2Fresh proposal addresses freshwater resource scarcity and water pollution challenges exacerbated by energy-intensive industries which are major users of fresh water (for e.g. processing, washing, diluting, heating, cooling, and transporting products) and pollute freshwater resources. 20% of global industrial water pollution comes from textile manufacturing. Breakthrough innovations are needed in energy-intensive industries to recycle water and create closed loops in industrial processes. According to the European Commission, such “closed loops would significantly reduce the use of fresh water and improve water availability in the relevant EU water catchment areas, as outlined in the Water Framework Directive, for other purposes (adjacent communities, farming and bio-based industries). Waste2Fresh proposes to meet the above challenges and industry needs by developing and demonstrating (to TRL 7) a closed loop recycling system for wastewater from textile manufacturing factories such as the denim ERAK factory. The Waste2Fresh system will integrate novel and innovative catalytic degradation approaches with highly selective separation and extraction techniques to deliver a closed loop system that assures near-zero discharge, reduces current use of freshwater resources and considerably increases the recovery of water, energy and other resources (organics, salts and heavy metals), culminating in a 30% increase in resource and water efficiency compared to the state-of-the-art. The system will ultimately lead to considerable environmental gains weighted against EU and global environmental footprints. The Waste2Fresh solution fits into Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) - a wastewater management strategy worth 5.44Bn€ and expected to reach 8.16Bn€ by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 5.5% over 2019-2025.

Graphene has many record properties. It is transparent like (or better than) plastic, but conducts heat and electricity better than any metal, it is an elastic thin film, behaves as an impermeable membrane, and it is chemically inert and stable. Thus it is ideal for the production of next generation transparent conductors. Thin and flexible graphene-based electronic components may be obtained and modularly integrated, and thin portable devices may be assembled and distributed. Graphene can withstand dramatic mechanical deformation, for instance it can be folded without breaking. Foldable devices can be imagined, together with a wealth of new form factors, with innovative concepts of integration and distribution. At present, the realisation of an electronic device (such as, e.g., a mobile phone) requires the assembly of a variety of components obtained by many technologies. Graphene, by including different properties within the same material, can offer the opportunity to build a comprehensive technological platform for the realisation of almost any device component, including transistors, batteries, optoelectronic components, photovoltaic cells, (photo)detectors, ultrafast lasers, bio- and physicochemical sensors, etc. Such a change in the paradigm of device manufacturing would revolutionise the global industry. UK will have the chance to re-acquire a prominent position within the global Information and Communication Technology industry, by exploiting the synergy of excellent researchers and manufacturers. Our vision is to take graphene from a state of raw potential to a point where it can revolutionise flexible, wearable and transparent (opto)electronics, with a manifold return for UK, in innovation and exploitation. Graphene has benefits both in terms of cost-advantage, and uniqueness of attributes and performance. It will enable cheap, energy autonomous and disposable devices and communication systems, integrated in transparent and flexible surfaces, with application to smart homes, industrial processes, environmental monitoring, personal healthcare and more. This will lead to ultimate device wearability, new user interfaces and novel interaction paradigms, with new opportunities in communication, gaming, media, social networking, sport and wellness. By enabling flexible (opto)electronics, graphene will allow the exploitation of the existing knowledge base and infrastructure of companies working on organic electronics (organic LEDs, conductive polymers, printable electronics), and a unique synergistic framework for collecting and underpinning many distributed technical competences. The strategic focus of the proposed Cambridge Graphene Centre will be in activities built around the central challenge of flexible and energy efficient (opto)electronics, for which graphene is a unique enabling platform. This will allow us to 1) grow and produce graphene by chemical vapour deposition and liquid phase exfoliation on large scale; 2) prepare and test inks, up to a controlled and closely monitored pilot line. The target is several litres per week of optimized solutions and inks, ready to be provided to present and future partners for testing in their plants; 3) design, test and produce a variety of flexible, antennas, detectors and RF devices based on graphene and related materials, covering all present and future wavelength ranges; 4) prototype and test flexible batteries and supercapacitors and package them for implementation in realistic devices. Our present and future industrial partners will be able to conduct pilot-phase research and device prototyping in this facility, before moving to larger scale testing in realistic industrial settings. Spin-off companies will be incubated, and start-ups will be able to contract their more fundamental work to this facility.