OCSiAl has opened its state-of-the-art R&D and technical support center designed to develop next gen materials with graphene nanotubes in Foetz, Luxembourg. Focusing on the development of graphene nanotube technologies and products, the R&D center will benefit from the country’s capabilities as a hub for advanced technology companies and a home to innovative research institutes and global manufacturers. 
 
Being a leading supplier of graphene nanotube solutions for various industries, OCSiAl Group’s established R&D and technical support centers are located in Asia and Eastern Europe. The current decision to open a new center in Luxembourg is related to the fact that Europe is at the forefront of developments in material engineering solutions, including the ongoing automotive industry revolution. Light-weight and smart car bodies, energy efficient and safe tires, are among the main focuses of OCSiAl’s European team of experts in nanotechnology and materials engineering. 
 
The new center covers an area of 350 sq m and has more than 50 units of high-end equipment. The major part of all developments will be targeted towards elastomers and thermoplastic composites enhanced with graphene nanotubes that will be widely applied in the cars of the future. 
 
“OCSiAl’s product line is constantly growing. We have developed high-performance solutions for Li-ion batteries and various polymers, many of which have already been accepted as an industry standard. And in fact, one of the best demonstrators and drivers of most nanotube developments is auto industry. Graphene nanotubes significantly enhance and even grant new properties to all the materials that are being used in cars. We make it possible to make safer, lighter, smarter and more eco-friendly vehicles,” said Konstantin Notman, OCSiAl senior vice president, OCSiAl Europe CEO.  
The company plans to launch the world’s largest graphene nanotube synthesizing facility in Luxembourg in 2023. Together with the R&D and technical support center, OCSiAl’s new production facility will form a cluster for the most advanced developments in the field of materials of the future.