The European Investment Bank (EIB) is offering Italian materials manufacturer BeDimensional €20 million (almost USD$22 million) in venture debt financing to expand production of Few-Layer Graphene (FLG) and Few-Layer Hexagonal Boron Nitride (FLhBN or FLB).
EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti and BeDimensional Chief Executive Officer Vittorio Pellegrini announced the financing accord at the inauguration of the company's plant in Genoa. BeDimensional plans to build a second plant in Italy to scale-up production of FLG and FLB by 2027.
BeDimensional’s graphene technologies have shown potential for use in batteries for electric vehicles and a new generation of metal-free engine oils. As a result, the technologies mark a milestone in Europe’s green transition and will herald job creation in Italy’s advanced-manufacturing sector.
With EIB's support, which is backed by the InvestEU programme, BeDimensional plans to increase its capacity to produce two-dimensional crystals more than tenfold to over 30 tonnes a year by 2028. The recent plant inauguration was attended by academics, researchers, members of Italy’s Parliament officials from the Liguria Region and the Municipality of Genoa, executives from BeDimensional’s partner companies and financial-sector representatives.
