Can you believe that our GRAPHERGIA project has just turned one year old?
With the aim of transforming the energy landscape, GRAPHERGIA is a Research and Innovation Project spanning 3.5 years, initiated in October 2023 and kicked-off in November 2023 in the Greek city of Patras. Teamed by 11 partners from six European countries, our goal is to develop a novel, holistic approach to achieve laser-assisted, eco-friendly processes for the synthesis, processing, functionalization, and simultaneous integration of graphene-based materials directly into pertinent energy harvesting and storage devices.
We are here to power energy with graphene to mark a significant milestone towards a climate-neutral future. Do you want to discover what our European innovators have been working on during the first year of GRAPHERGIA? Keep reading!
Work Package 1. Scientific Coordination and Project Management
- Leading partner: Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH).
Activities
During the first year of GRAPHERGIA, we have focused on establishing communication channels with the project partners, to them provide guidance for effective project and data management, and also to ensure a proper communication and cooperation with Graphene Flagship.
WP1 year 1 in a quote
“At FORTH we feel very excited to be part of the GRAPHERGIA team working as the coordinators of the project!”, Magda Spella, Project Manager.
WP1 year 1 in a picture

Work Package 2: Design, development and optimization of textile-based TENGs and micro-flexible SCs
- Leading partner: Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH).
Activities
FORTH’s R&D activities for first year include:
- Optimization of the laser-assisted in-situ growth of graphene and graphene nanohybrids on flexible substrates (e.g. paper) has been achieved. This method is currently optimized for various types of textile substrates. During this first phase, GO was utilized as the graphene precursor aiming to define the method and upscale the process to parameters compatible with the R2R pilot line expected to be assembled at latter stages. This will enable to assess the fabricated laser-reduced GO (LrGO) electrodes in various supercapacitor configurations.
- A cost-effective precursor for high-quality graphene production has been investigated. PAN nanofibers, easily produced over large areas through electrospinning, were shown to yield high-quality graphene with excellent conductivity after irradiation by a mid-IR laser. This material is currently being evaluated as an electrode for both triboelectric nanogenerators and interdigitated (planar) supercapacitors.
- Inorganic carbide precursors, such as SiC, have also undergone laser-assisted decomposition, producing high-quality graphene structures decorated with Si/SiOx nanoparticles. These materials are currently being investigated as anode materials for Li-ion batteries.
- Uniform and conformal deposition of various fluoropolymers onto the graphene-coated textiles has been achieved. The resulting materials have been characterized for their thickness, stability, uniformity, surface energy, degree of cross linking and breathability. Structural investigation and durability evaluation are ongoing.
WP2 year 1 in a quote
“In the first year of GRAPHERGIA, we made notable progress in WP2 in optimizing laser-assisted production of graphene-based materials on various flexible substrates. Moving forward, we aim to refine these processes further and integrate them into functional devices, ensuring their successful implementation in the project demonstrators, i.e. self-charging textiles and Li-ion batteries”, Spyros Yannopoulos, WP2 Leader and Project Coordinator.
WP2 year 1 in a picture
Some of the GRAPHERGIA partners at the 15th International Conference on Solid State Chemistry 2024 (SSC Conference), where they hosted the Horizon Europe Satellite Event with the EMPHASIS and INERRANT projects, in September 2024 in Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic.
Work Package 3: LIB cells design and assembly using laser-scribed graphene-based anodes
- Leading partner: Pleione Energy GmbH (PLE).
Activities
The main focus of WP3 is to reach the following objectives:
- Laser-processed graphene LIB cells design.
- Explore aging mechanism of graphene-based LIB cells.
- Graphene-based LIB cell benchmarking.
These objectives are going to be achieved through four tasks, with only two to have started during this first year of the activity running. Task 3.1: Cell design of graphene-based anode materials, started at month 6, and Task 3.2 Graphene-based battery assembly and performance evaluation, started at month 10. In the first year of the project, the WP3’s primary focus was on designing the graphene-based anode cells and conducting preliminary experiments on coating graphene oxide (GO) on copper foil in order to laser-irradiate it and prepare graphene-based anodes. The main goal was to begin establishing the battery manufacturing process and assess the performance of the developed anode materials. In the coming months, work on benchmarking battery cells and characterizing the aging mechanisms using in-situ operando characterization will begin.
WP3 year 1 in a quote
“Through GRAPHERGIA, we have the opportunity to collaborate with partners that are experts in their respective fields of research, to together create and investigate the technologies that will yield the achievement of the three demo cases at the closure of the activity. In our capacity as the leader of WP3, we are responsible for defining a “dry electrode” approach to the fabrication of next-generation Li-ion battery, which will position us to strive toward meeting the 2030 European SET-plan’s technological and financial goals”, Athanasios Masouras, Chief Operating Officer, Project Manager and WP3 Leader.
WP3 year 1 in a picture

Work Package 4: Advanced electrical modelling and efficient power management of TENGs for energy harvesting and self-powered sensing IoT applications
- Leading partner: Université Gustave Eiffel/ESYCOM Lab (UGE).
Activities
We focused on Task 4.1: Conditioning circuit for TENG rectification. More specifically, we completed the theory defining the strategy for choosing the best unstable charge-pump conditioning circuit for a given TENG, under a given mechanical excitation, and a given maximum voltage allowed in the system. The theory has been validated through Spice simulation. In parallel, we also finalized the automatic test bench for characterizing a gap-closing TENG (i.e defining its lumped element model) when then model is a voltage source in series with a variable capacitor.
WP4 year 1 in a quote
“The first year at GRAPHERGIA has been very exciting in terms of advancing our WP4 research to develop a strategy for proposing the best conditioning circuits/energy management systems for the TENGs manufactured by the members of the consortium”, Philippe Basset, Professor at ESIEE Paris, Director of ESYCOM Lab (Université Gustave Eiffel) and WP4 Leader.
WP4 year 1 in a picture
Philippe Basset co-chairing the symposium “Self-powered sensors based on nanogenerators”, at the European Materials Research Society (e-MRS) 2024 Spring Meeting celebrated in Strasbourg (France) in May 2024.
Work Package 5: Design, manufacturing and testing of representative technology demonstrators
- Leading partner: Adamant Composites Ltd. (ADA).
Activities
During the first year, the central focus of WP5 has been on Task 5.1: Early eco-design analysis and optimization of critical parameters for the technology demonstrators. This task lays the foundation for ensuring that the design and development processes adhere to eco-design principles, aligning with the overall objective of reducing environmental impact throughout the product life cycle. Key activities have included:
- Preliminary Literature Review: From months 6 to 12, a preliminary review and evaluation of eco-design practices relevant to the demonstrators, along with European legislation on eco-design, circularity, and carbon neutrality goals, was conducted. This research will be refined as more information is provided by the demonstrator partners.
- Collaboration with Demonstrator Partners: The eco-design analysis will be closely linked to the materials, components, and processes associated with each of the demonstrators (which will be addressed in later stages starting from month 30). This collaboration will enable the identification of the most suitable eco-design strategies and regulatory frameworks.
- Alignment with European Legislation: WP5 has been tracking the evolving regulatory landscape, including the Eco-design for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). This will be critical for defining eco-design criteria for the demonstrators as the project progresses. Thus, the first year’s focus has been on laying the groundwork for future activities by conducting essential eco-design evaluations and setting the stage for more detailed work in later stages of the project.
WP5 year 1 in a quote
“As a partner and WP5 Leader in GRAPHERGIA, our first year has focused on laying the foundation for sustainable innovation, with early eco-design analysis and optimization setting the stage for a greener future in advanced technologies. We’ve made significant progress in aligning our demonstrators with both market needs and emerging EU eco-design regulations, preparing for the next phases of this ambitious project”, Despoina Batsouli, Head of Advanced Materials Division and WP5 Leader.
WP5 year 1 in a picture

Work Package 6: Life cycle assessment, sustainability and eco-design approach
- Leading partner: Next Technology Tecnotessile (NTT).
Activities
The applied LCA methodology (Life Cycle Assessment) has been explained in detail during dedicated online meetings describing the four steps reported in ISO 14040. The LCA methodology has been combined with the LCC methodology, focused on considering all the costs that will be incurred during the lifetime of the product, work or service. This last methodology has also been introduced and deeply explained to the GRAPHERGIA project partners in webinars to discuss the direct and indirect costs evaluation strategy for the developed products. A preliminary Social LCA (S-LCA) survey has been prepared and spread among the project partners to collect feedbacks. Eco-design methodology has also been presented by hosting online meetings, and it will be used for components and products developed during the project implementation.
WP6 year 1 in a quote
“Knowledge meetings about the methodologies with the project partners have been very fruitful and productive to help us develop our work in GRAPHERGIA, focused on process optimization conditions and textile properties validation with an eco-friendly vision”, Daniele Spinelli, Project Manager.
WP6 year 1 in a picture

WP7: Dissemination, exploitation and communication of project results
- Leading partner: AUSTRALO Marketing Lab (AUS).
Activities
We kicked off the project by creating GRAPHERGIA’s branding, which enables it to be identified among other related initiatives. We also established a solid strategy guiding all communication, dissemination and exploitation activities throughout the project’s duration. The communication activities have focused on sharing updates and knowledge from the project; the GRAPHERGIA website and social media channels are essential tools for our communication. The dissemination activities enable stakeholders to use GRAPHERGIA’s research results; notably participating in different events, releasing scientific publications and publishing all public project results are crucial for dissemination.
GRAPHERGIA is a member of the Graphene Flagship Initiative, which gathers 12 EU research projects proposing innovative approaches to using graphene-based materials in several application areas (energy, biomedical, photonics and electronics).
WP7 year 1 in a quote
“This year has been very productive in terms of communication and dissemination. The project has grown from an idea on paper into an active initiative with attractive branding, engaging with European and international research and innovation communities across different channels and stakeholder events”, Mona Marill, Project Manager.
WP7 year 1 in a picture
