Graphene firm awarded £1.95m Ministry of Defence contract

Versarien, the advanced materials engineering group, has been awarded a product development agreement for £1.95m by the Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), part of the Ministry of Defence.

DSTL is responsible for ensuring that innovative science and technology contribute to the defence and security of the UK.

The agreement is to develop graphene loaded polymer composites for certain defence-related applications, the details of which remain confidential.

The company has been awarded the agreement due to its technical applications capability in conjunction with its accredited graphene quality.

Versarien operates its 2-DTech arm in Manchester.

The agreement contains a number of work packages including literature review, development of graphene loaded polymer composites for three specific applications, demonstration of the applications and exploitation of the applications.

The work packages are due for completion by March 31, 2022.

Versarien chief executive, Neill Ricketts, said: “Versarien is delighted to have been awarded this agreement by DSTL, which acknowledges the quality of our products and technical ability.

“We look forward to completing the project on time and to supporting the Ministry of Defence in applying graphene to military applications.”