PHI-STONE AG

Their core work

PHI-STONE AG is a German private company based in Kiel that specializes in graphene and 2D materials technology. They contribute to the EU Graphene Flagship — Europe's largest research initiative on graphene — working across the value chain from basic research to pilot-line manufacturing. Their involvement spans composite materials, energy applications, electronics, photonics, sensors, and biomedical technologies, suggesting they provide materials processing or characterization capabilities that serve multiple application domains.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

PHI-STONE's early involvement (GrapheneCore2, 2018) spanned a broad range of graphene applications — composites, energy, electronics, photonics, sensors, and biomedical uses — reflecting a phase of exploratory basic research. By 2020, their focus narrowed sharply toward industrialization: the 2D Experimental Pilot Line and GrapheneCore3 emphasize pilot-line production and FET Flagship-scale deployment of 2D materials. This shift from broad research exploration to manufacturing scale-up signals a company moving from R&D support toward production-ready technology.

PHI-STONE is transitioning from research participation toward industrial-scale graphene and 2D materials production, making them increasingly relevant for companies seeking manufacturing-ready graphene solutions.

How they like to work

PHI-STONE operates exclusively as a participant in very large consortia — the Graphene Flagship projects involve hundreds of partners. With 219 unique consortium partners across 21 countries from just 3 projects, their network is vast but comes from the Flagship structure rather than individually curated partnerships. This means they are well-connected within the European graphene ecosystem but their direct bilateral relationships may be more limited.

Through the Graphene Flagship, PHI-STONE is connected to 219 partners across 21 countries, giving them access to virtually the entire European graphene research community. However, this large network is a function of the Flagship's scale rather than independent relationship-building.

What sets them apart

PHI-STONE is a private company embedded in the Graphene Flagship — Europe's premier 2D materials initiative — which gives them direct access to frontier research and pilot-line infrastructure. As a non-SME private company (rather than a university or research institute), they sit at the critical junction between academic graphene research and industrial application. For potential partners, this means they can translate laboratory-scale graphene advances into commercially relevant processes and products.

Highlights from their portfolio

• 2D-EPL
  The 2D Experimental Pilot Line is specifically focused on scaling graphene from lab to factory — the most industrially relevant of their projects.
• GrapheneCore3
  The third phase of the Graphene Flagship (EUR 631,250 funding to PHI-STONE) represents the maturation stage of Europe's flagship 2D materials program.