GRAPHENE-XT SRL

Their core work

GRAPHENE-XT is a Bologna-based SME specializing in the production and functionalization of graphene and related 2D materials. They supply advanced carbon-based nanomaterials for applications in energy, electronics, and composites, serving as a material provider and process partner within large European research consortia. Their work spans from synthesizing tailored graphene compounds to scaling production through pilot lines, with growing involvement in nanosafety and safe-by-design frameworks for advanced materials.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2016-2019), GRAPHENE-XT focused broadly on graphene fundamentals — composite materials, energy applications, electronics, photonics, and sensors — consistent with their role as a material supplier building capabilities across multiple application domains. From 2020 onward, their focus sharpened toward more specialized chemistry (boron-nitrogen-carbon heterostructures, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, tailored doping) and industrialization topics like pilot line scale-up and nanosafety. This shift signals a move from broad graphene exploration toward production readiness and regulatory preparedness.

GRAPHENE-XT is transitioning from R&D material supplier toward production-scale manufacturing with increasing attention to safety and regulatory compliance — positioning themselves for commercial graphene supply chains.

How they like to work

GRAPHENE-XT operates exclusively as a participant, never coordinating projects, which is typical for a specialist SME contributing specific material capabilities to larger initiatives. With 286 unique partners across 27 countries, they are deeply networked — largely through the massive Graphene Flagship consortia. Their collaboration pattern suggests they are a trusted, low-friction partner that integrates well into large teams without seeking to lead them.

With 286 consortium partners across 27 countries, GRAPHENE-XT has one of the broadest partner networks possible for an SME — primarily built through repeated participation in the Graphene Flagship, Europe's largest materials research initiative. This gives them direct connections to leading graphene labs, industrial users, and equipment manufacturers across the continent.

What sets them apart

GRAPHENE-XT is one of a small number of European SMEs embedded inside the Graphene Flagship from its early phases through to the pilot line stage, giving them rare continuity and deep relationships across the 2D materials ecosystem. Their combination of hands-on graphene production capability with emerging nanosafety expertise makes them a practical partner for projects that need to move beyond lab demonstrations toward real products. For consortium builders, they bring both the material and the regulatory awareness needed to commercialize graphene-based technologies.

Highlights from their portfolio

• NanoMEMC2
  Their largest single EC contribution (EUR 290,543), applying graphene materials to carbon capture membranes — a direct bridge between materials science and climate technology.
• 2D-EPL
  The Graphene Flagship's industrial pilot line for 2D materials, signaling GRAPHENE-XT's role in scaling graphene from research to manufacturing.
• DIAGONAL
  A strategic pivot into nanosafety and safe-by-design governance for nanomaterials — essential for any company planning to commercialize advanced materials.