A spinout from Manchester University, working with the UK and EU-funded National Graphene Institute, has created the first UK originating commercial graphene product: The graphene lightbulb.
Graphene Lighting, a UK-based spinout from Manchester University, has developed a graphene lightbulb that has lower energy emissions and a longer life than even LED lightbulbs.
The company has a strategic partnership with Manchester University and the National Graphene Institute. The university owns a stake in the company.
The lightbulb is the first application of graphene to come from the £61m ($91m) National Graphene Institute and is believed to be the first commercial use of graphene to originate in the UK. Graphene Lighting hopes to have the lightbulbs for sale “in a matter of months”.
Colin Bailey, deputy president and deputy vice-chancellor of Manchester University said: “This lightbulb shows that graphene products are becoming a reality, just a little more than a decade after it was first isolated – a very short time in scientific terms.”
The National Graphene Institute is funded by the UK-based Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and by the European Regional Development Fund. These organisations invested £38m and £23m respectively.
James Baker, business director for Graphene@Manchester, said: “The graphene lightbulb is proof of how partnering with the National Graphene Institute can deliver real-life products which could be used by millions of people.”
