The 2016 Graphene Industry and Technology Summit was held in Nanning, Guangxi.

According to a report by China National Radio’s online platform from Nanning on August 23 (reporter Deng Junyang), the 2016 Graphene Industry and Technology Summit Forum was held in Nanning, Guangxi from August 22 to 24.

　　The forum will last two and a half days, with its main activities including keynote speeches, sub-forums, the 14th Cross-Strait Carbon Materials Symposium, company visits, and project negotiations. The agenda covers a wide range of specialized topics, such as graphene’s fundamental theory, controllable and large-scale preparation methods, outstanding physical and chemical properties, application development of carbon nanotubes, opportunities and challenges in the industrialization process, as well as the future graphene market and industry chain. In addition, the forum will feature investment promotion for projects, an industry exhibition and exchange, and promotional displays.

　　It is reported that graphene is currently the thinnest, strongest, most resilient, lightest, most transparent, and ideally conductive material known to humankind. This makes graphene hold great promise for applications in numerous fields, including energy, biotechnology, water resources, electronics and network technologies, aerospace, and the automotive industry—hence its nickname as the “miracle material” that could potentially transform the world.

　　Last October, when President Xi Jinping visited the National Graphene Institute at the University of Manchester in the UK, he pointed out that “China is one of the most active countries in graphene research and application development.” To keep abreast of the latest developments in graphene and to strengthen scientific and technological exchanges between China and other countries, graphene research and applications have attracted great attention from China’s government, universities, research institutes, and enterprises. In November 2015, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Science and Technology jointly issued the “Several Opinions on Accelerating the Innovative Development of the Graphene Industry,” clearly stating the need to seize opportunities to foster and expand the graphene industry, positioning it as a leading-edge sector. The document also laid out specific development goals, principles, and measures. In March 2016, graphene materials were incorporated into China’s “13th Five-Year Plan” and listed as one of the strategic cutting-edge materials in “Made in China 2025,” making graphene a key focus for development in the field of new materials.

　　To implement the Innovation-Driven Support Project of the China Association for Science and Technology, guide innovative development in the graphene industry, promote cooperation among industry, academia, and research institutions, and facilitate industrialization and commercialization, the China Association for Science and Technology and the People's Government of the Autonomous Region have agreed to jointly host the “2016 Graphene Industry and Technology Summit Forum” in Nanning, Guangxi. The forum aims to provide a platform for exchange and collaboration among outstanding domestic and international scientists and entrepreneurs in the fields of graphene materials, other two-dimensional materials, carbon nanotubes, and related areas. Attending or participating in this forum are Professor Konstantin Novoselov, a professor at the University of Manchester in the UK and the 2010 Nobel Laureate in Physics; Professor Mark C. Hersam, Director of the Materials Research Center at Northwestern University in the U.S.; Professor Young Hee Lee, an academician of the Korean Academy of Science and an esteemed professor at Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea; Academicians Zhongfan Liu and Huiming Cheng from the Chinese Academy of Sciences; more than 20 experts from Taiwan; heads of graphene-related enterprises; and approximately 400 other scholars and experts from home and abroad.

In recent years, the graphene industry has shown strong development momentum, driven by project-based talent recruitment and centered on talent-driven industrial growth. A number of graphene research institutions have been established, including the Collaborative Innovation Center for Renewable Energy Materials at Guangxi University and the Guangxi Graphene Research Institute. The holding of this forum will play a positive role in promoting technological advancement in the graphene industry and will help China seize opportunities and secure a leading position in the development of the graphene industry.