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▲ Versarien subsidiary Gnanomat ’ s pilot plant for manufacturing graphene / metal oxide hybrid nanomaterials
the top but not replacing them . Construction hasn ’ t really been seen as an exciting industry to work in , but I think with digitization and new automation tools , the sector is becoming quite attractive to the younger generation , which will help to support industry growth and make it more sustainable in the UK .
“ We ’ re still very much in the development phase but we ’ ve always had to be agile ; to pivot and realign ourselves to ensure we ’ re doing relevant work . We think that by focusing on construction , which has the biggest impact on climate change , we can make a difference with both the materials that we ’ re using and the technologies ,” Steve shares .
“ The year ahead is looking quite promising ,” he continues . “ Our commercial pipeline has never been healthier , and we ’ ve recently been awarded a large government grant for the work our Gnanomat team is performing . We raised money on the stock market during 2024 and part of that capital was to be put towards purchasing construction testing equipment for our own in-house capability . That has now been commissioned , so we ’ ll be able to accelerate
our graphene-in-concrete testing . The nature of concrete testing is very slow ; we must often wait 28 days or more to get results and feedback . So , having in-house capability is a great addition and it allows our staff to develop more skills .”
Indeed , championing innovation is at the core of VRS ’ operations and the company has joined BridgeAI , an Innovate UK-funded program with a mission to drive the adoption of AI and machine learning ( ML ) in sectors of the UK economy with a high potential for growth . In the latest round , which is focused on construction , VRS has set some challenges relating to parametric design and material monitoring , which it sees as two key challenges for 3D Construction Printing .
“ It ’ s a thought-provoking time for advanced materials at the moment ,” Steve adds . “ Over the last ten years , in Europe we ’ ve had the EC ’ s Graphene Flagship initiative which was a ten-year program with one billion euros of funding with the aim to mobilize researchers , academics , industry and national programs to tackle major challenges in science and technology using graphene . We ’ re entering a new phase where
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