The latest Business updates from the science industry


by Heather Hobbs Process sets Pathway for market ready Graphene Solutions


Scottish technology developer Integrated Graphene is investing up to £8 million to scale its 3D Graphene foam, Gii®, manufacturing process to meet surging global demand from the human diagnostics and energy markets.


Founded in 2016, Integrated Graphene has developed a commercially viable


graphene manufacturing process that eliminates scale-up


challenges associated with CVD graphene and graphene powder, through the development of a breakthrough process producing a pure 3D Graphene Foam onto a range of substances at ambient room temperature. The company also designs manufacturing processes for blue-chip companies to effectively bolt-on to existing lines and provides a dedicated team to supporting organisations that adapt graphene technologies for their products.


The company’s investment plan will focus on scaling-up the manufacturing of its graphene enhanced electrodes and super capacitors which are currently being piloted by global blue-chips in human diagnostics point of care testing and smart label asset tracking applications.


As part of its strategic growth plans, the company intends to double its existing footprint in Stirling and treble its headcount to 100 over the next three years, hiring a signifi cant number of market leading


Marco Caffi o co-founder and Chief Scientifi c Offi cer, Integrated Graphene


development and commercial experts in the UK, Europe and North America. The company will also increase capital expenditure in its next generation pilot line to allow rapid market expansion of its core products including wearables, animal diagnostics, companion diagnostics and environmental diagnostics, with potential expansion


markets including Drones, e-mobility, space, satellites and wearables.


The investment comes on the back of a signifi cantly oversubscribed Series A + funding round for an undisclosed sum led by existing investors, Par Equity and Archangels.


Claus Marquordt, co-founder and CEO, Integrated Graphene said: “This investment marks a real tipping point for Integrated Graphene and the manufacturing of our unique 3D Graphene foam in its fi rst two market-ready products. We are actively involved in projects with several global blue-chip companies to deliver high volumes of electrodes and super capacitors that address critical needs in accelerating point of care human diagnostics for a wide range of killer diseases and in enabling low-cost fl exible and sustainable power systems for the booming IoT, Smart Label and Wearable tech markets. By investing now, we will be ready, this year, to produce millions of units per annum from a new facility in Stirling and to transfer the technology at scale to global partners in the future.”


More information online: ilmt.co/PL/gPnk 58467pr@reply-direct.com


WITec Jubilee Celebrates 25 Years of Innovation


WITec GmbH marked a quarter century since its founding with a party on Friday 1 July 2022. The Ulm, Germany-based company hosted old friends and new colleagues for an evening of refl ection, fellowship and fun.


The event, ‘WITec Jubilee - 25 Years in Focus’, began with founders Joachim Koenen and Olaf Hollricher recounting the origin of the fi rm and its progression from a start-up to a globally recognised leader in Raman microscopy.


“We decided early on that our motto would be ‘Focus Innovations’ because it described what we wanted to achieve,” said Dr Koenen. “Our approach, and really the key to our success is right there, hard work and creativity. I’m very appreciative of everyone here and proud of what we’ve accomplished so far.”


From left to right: Dr Jan Stefan Roell (Head of the Ulm Chamber of Industry and Commerce), Dr Joachim Koenen (WITec Managing Director) with the certifi cate from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Dr Olaf Hollricher (WITec Managing Director Research and Development) with the ceremonial key to WITec’s headquarters expansion.


The company has grown organically from a University of Ulm spin- off in 1997 into a thriving business with an extensive record of innovation in 2022. A building expansion that doubles the capacity of the current headquarters will enable the company to keep up with strong demand for its products. The offi cial key handover ceremony for this new facility took place at the party and Dr Jan Stefan Roell, Head of the Ulm Chamber of Industry and Commerce, presented a certifi cate recognising the company’s achievement.


The evening’s keynote address was given by Professor Dr Wolfgang Kiefer, a renowned fi gure who has shaped Raman spectroscopy in Europe as no other over the past fi fty years. He is also an enthusiastic promoter of the legacy of C.V. Raman, who won the 1930 Nobel Prize for describing the effect that bears his name. In a particularly emotional moment, Professor Dr Kiefer presented WITec’s founders with a watercolour portrait of Sir Raman painted from life by Professor Dr Josef Behringer during Raman’s only visit to Germany in 1956.


“That stunned me. We’re so grateful, so honoured by this gift. Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman was a monumental physicist and an inspiring man,” said Dr Hollricher. “It’s truly moving to look at that wonderful painting and feel a direct connection to the discoverer himself.”


From left to right: Dr Olaf Hollricher (WITec Managing Director Research and Development), Professor Dr Wolfgang Kiefer with the historical portrait of C.V. Raman, Dr Joachim Koenen (WITec Managing Director).


Following the presentation of the portrait, during dinner, amidst dancing and into the night, WITec team members reminisced about the path that led to this milestone, and talked excitedly about the way forward for the next twenty-fi ve years.


WITec Jubilee Cake depicting an alpha300 microscope.


More information online: ilmt.co/PL/qMr9 58225pr@reply-direct.com


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