UK falling behind in global race to exploit graphene

BBC : Although researchers in the UK were the first to isolate and characterize graphene less than a decade ago, the country is falling behind in the number of graphene patents filed. According to figures compiled by the UK-based consultancy CambridgeIP, China is the country that holds the most patents (2200 of the total 7351 held worldwide); the UK holds only 54. The most corporate patents are held by Samsung in South Korea. Comprising just a single layer of carbon atoms, graphene is the thinnest material ever made. Because it is also lightweight, flexible, and durable, it has many potential applications, including in electronics, industry, and medicine. For the UK to be competitive with the rest of the world in exploiting the multifarious uses of graphene, “we need to raise our game,” said UK science minister David Willetts.