Please could you introduce yourself and your current role at Graphmatech?
My name is Marie Vennstöm, and I am a Business Development Manager for Metal Graphene Composites at Graphmatech.
The role links research and development (R&D), production, sales, and marketing to support the work in developing our product portfolio and subsequent introduction to the market. In this position, one needs to understand the customer needs and, together with our team, evaluate the fit with our product portfolio and consider how these insights influence our way forward regarding new products.
My role is to facilitate these discussions and assist in setting the strategic direction so that we as a team can make the right decisions and provide a great product to the market.
How did you become involved with your current position?
I have a lengthy background in research and development, but I have also had the opportunity to work with sales. When a position at Graphmatech became available where someone with a materials profile that could work within business development was desirable, I was a suitable candidate.
At Graphmatech, I have had the opportunity to combine building a new business with material development in a startup environment that is creative and unrestricted; the most important part is that I am a part of a great team.
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Collaboration is at the core of Graphmatech, partnering with significant research centers on a range of projects. What advantages does this strong relationship bring to Graphmatech, and the industry in general?
Collaboration is an important factor in our development since it allows us to test and benchmark our materials together with industrial partners in a scientific way. These collaborations enable all parts to contribute and provide direction regarding the test environment to make it relevant for future applications. We think these collaborations provide a fruitful ground for us to secure that we are building a product portfolio with an excellent market fit. These collaborations also help us to develop strong customer relations with innovative clients.
As pioneers of Aros Graphene® Technology, Graphmatech aims to revolutionize the industrial use of graphene. What makes this material so special?
Aros Graphene® Technology opens up new possibilities to manufacture products of polymer or metals containing graphene. Our products create an opportunity to introduce graphene homogeneously in the metal or polymer matrix without risk for gradients. In short, we are supplying a product ready to go for our customers, which opens an opportunity for them to introduce graphene in their product.
Copper-Graphene powder, HDPE-Graphene masterbatch, and ABS-Graphene compound from Graphmatech © Graphmatech
You have demonstrated how this material can improve copper additive manufacturing, reducing reflectance and increasing the density of printing parts. What other sectors will benefit from Graphmatech’s graphene technology?
We believe that graphene could provide opportunities in several fields like improvement in heat transfer, electrical conductivity, mechanical as well as tribological properties, among others. We are currently working on finding the right combinations for each manufacturing technology, material, and application and this is a time-consuming process, but we see great potential.
Aros Graphene® Technology possesses many ideal qualities, such as being eco-friendly and fossil-free. Why is it so important to incorporate sustainable practices into the industry?
We have seen a growing trend in that customers demand sustainable practices - if you do not build sustainability into all processes, there is no future.
We strongly believe in building a business with a positive impact on our society and the planet, doing our best for both the environment and businesses.
How does Graphmatech approach incorporating sustainable business practices?
In 2021 we launched our own sustainability program called Bright G. With support from the Sweden-based sustainability agency Greengoat, we are ingraining sustainability into our core as part of the company strategy. Greengoat is helping us get on track with greenhouse gas accounting, among many other steps in our sustainability program.
We have also recently conducted a supply chain analysis and are currently performing an extensive materiality analysis that will form the base of our sustainability work, setting the direction for our work going forward. The materiality analysis covers a wide range of areas, with one being a stakeholder analysis based on a systematic dialog with 16 partners, customers, and suppliers regarding their current and future expectations of us.
There have been very interesting dialogs, and it has provided us with valuable insights into their expectations and how they prioritize and work with these questions. I recommend other companies to take the opportunities to do the same.
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Graphmatech has received multiple awards since its origin, with the company diversifying and developing at a rapid pace. What does the future of Graphmatech look like?
Due to the outstanding properties of Aros Graphene® a wide range of applications have been identified. After screening potential applications, Graphmatech has established three areas we prioritize: Metal- and Polymer-graphene composites and the energy sector. Our ambition is to take graphene to the polymer and metal market. Currently, the energy segment is an area we have explored the least, but it is nonetheless important, and we see Graphmatech exploring this more in the future.
As we continue our work in developing high-performing graphene products, we believe we can help different sectors to become more energy-efficient and sustainable. We believe that products utilizing our technology will positively contribute to electrification and decarbonization sustainably.
Our current focus is on the European markets. We foresee further expanding our business operations and partnerships internationally from 2023 onwards.
How do you envision graphene technologies changing over the next 30 years?
Over the next 30 years, we will see a global breakthrough of graphene and other graphene products. Standardization and the industrialization of graphene for many applications will, in turn, increase the demand for high-quality graphene products. We believe that this will further push the innovation and growth of graphene production, increasing the production capacity worldwide.
We foresee that graphene will take over other conventional materials and additives that are proven to be less sustainable. For example, graphene technologies will have an essential role in developing a more energy-efficient and cleaner society.
The main challenge is finding the application areas and creating a fit with that market from a technical and customer relation perspective. One still needs to consider graphene as a rather novel material compared to many of the more traditional materials used today, especially within the metal materials market.
Where can our readers go to learn more and stay up to date with Graphmatech?
Datasheets for products utilizing Aros Graphene® technology can be found on the Graphmatech website.
About Marie Vennström
Marie Vennström is a Business Development Manager at Graphmatech, focusing on metal-graphene composites. Marie earned her Ph.D. in Material Chemistry from Uppsala University, Sweden. Since, she has 15 years of professional experience in the metal industry at a world-leading engineering company that specializes in the manufacturing of advanced materials, and 1.5 years as a Section Manager at a consulting firm before joining Graphmatech in 2021.
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily represent the views of AZoM.com Limited (T/A) AZoNetwork, the owner and operator of this website. This disclaimer forms part of the Terms and Conditions of use of this website.