Graphene Centre looks set for go-ahead

A BLUEPRINT for a the new Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre in central Manchester looks odds on to get the thumbs up from city council planners.

The proposal for the building on a 2.1-acre site on Oxford Road has been submitted by the University of Manchester.

If approved, the building – intended to go hand in glove with the university’s National Graphene Institute nearby – will provide 87,123 sq ft of space on three floors.

Analysts believe Manchester could become the Silicon Valley of Europe for graphene development if the new research centre is built.

According to experts, transparent cabins on airliners, phones that can be rolled up and placed behind the ear like a pencil and filters that remove salt crystals from seawater could all be made possible by graphene.

City council planning officers in a report to be tabled at a planning committee meeting say the scheme has regeneration spin-offs for the Corridor Manchester – the area running south from St Peter’s Square to Whitworth Park along Oxford Road.

It is intended to bridge the gap between academic research and manufacturing, and to help to create graphene expertise that will establish Manchester as a technology hub.
 
Sir Richard Leese, leader of the city council, said: “This is something unique that helps not just Manchester but the UK compete in a global race.”