[Beijing Daily] Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region Will Jointly Build a "Carbon Valley"

More than a decade ago, scientists who discovered and revealed the unique properties of graphene were awarded the Nobel Prize, bringing graphene, known as the "king of new materials," into the spotlight of many. After years of technological accumulation, Beijing is continuously forming an innovative force in graphene, potentially nurturing another future industry with prominent international competitive advantages.

The "Beijing Implementation Plan for the Development of the Graphene Industry (2024-2027)" recently released by the Beijing Municipal Economics and Information Technology Bureau proposes that Beijing will leverage its graphene innovation advantages to achieve high-quality and stable production of general and new types of graphene materials, and create an independently controlled, safe, and reliable industrial and supply chain. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region will jointly build a "Carbon Valley," forming a new industrial development pattern featuring complementary advantages, staggered development, and mutual benefit.

Key Core Technologies Will Achieve Breakthroughs One After Another

Graphene, with a thickness of only 0.335 nanometers, possesses ultra-strong thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, and is as light as a feather, yet its strength is 100 times that of steel. But how can higher quality, lower-cost graphene be produced stably? And how can its amazing properties empower various industries? These questions require continuous innovation to answer.

To this end, Beijing will lay out a roadmap for graphene technology research and development and industrialization according to the principle of "sequential deployment and rolling implementation." It will reserve a batch of frontier technologies such as single-crystal graphene wafers and graphene biochips for the next-generation semiconductor, new-generation information communication, biomedical, and other industries; deploy a batch of key technologies such as graphene smart sensors and graphene catalysts for hydrogen energy, AI perception, large-scale integrated circuits, and other fields; and achieve breakthroughs in mass production technologies such as graphene composites and graphene flexible heating materials for new energy vehicles, aerospace, wind power, high-end equipment, and other directions.

According to the phased goals finalized in this plan, by 2025, Beijing's graphene innovation capability will be significantly enhanced, with breakthroughs in 5 to 10 key common technologies and the introduction and cultivation of more than 5 leading enterprises in subdivided fields; by 2027, more than 50 high-quality patents will have been formed cumulatively, the industrial standard system will be further improved, and the industrial level will be significantly upgraded.

Fangshan, Haidian, and Huairou Will Form the "Graphene Triangle"

Haidian focuses on innovation leadership in concept validation, product design, pilot testing, special applications, etc.; Fangshan focuses on powder preparation and the cultivation of application industrial clusters; and Huairou focuses on thin-film preparation, application, and equipment and instrument manufacturing. From Beijing's existing industrial base and regional characteristics, these three districts are building the "Graphene Triangle" for the development of the graphene industry.

Currently, Fangshan District utilizes the existing land space of Zhongguancun Fangshan Park to support the construction of Phase I of a 15,600-square-meter pilot incubation base. Combined with the under-construction 78,000-square-meter standardized factory space for new materials industries, they jointly promote the formation of a characteristic industrial cluster for new material industries represented by graphene in Fangshan.

Haidian District will become a highland for the research and development of frontier and key common technologies in graphene, establishing a graphene science and technology innovation center with international influence; Huairou District will rely on the construction layout of the Huairou Science City for the research and manufacturing of high-end graphene equipment and instruments, creating a graphene international cooperation community.

Looking at the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the three places will also jointly build an advanced carbon material industrial cluster to create the "Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Carbon Valley." The plan proposes to leverage Beijing's clustering advantages in innovation resources to support Shijiazhuang and Langfang in Hebei Province in the layout of key projects such as graphene powder and carbon fiber composites, and support Baodi and Dongli District in Tianjin in the layout of key projects such as graphene lubricating materials and ceramic materials. The three places are expected to form a new industrial development pattern featuring complementary advantages, staggered development, and mutual benefit.

Targeting a 30 Billion-Yuan Industry Scale

Innovative development requires an ecological layout. Beijing will also support advantaged scientific and technological innovation institutions in Beijing to take the lead in establishing national-level innovation platforms, integrating innovation resources in the graphene field in Beijing, and building new research and development institutions for graphene with international influence; support institutions with outstanding pilot testing capabilities such as municipal manufacturing innovation centers to build national-level pilot platforms integrating pilot research and development, pilot manufacturing, and pilot testing around downstream application scenarios of graphene, promoting the transformation of graphene scientific and technological achievements; and support the construction of national-level graphene industry inspection and testing centers in Beijing to provide inspection and certification services for graphene materials.

According to the plan, by 2025, Beijing's graphene and related products will form a 5 billion-yuan industry scale; by 2027, two characteristic industrial clusters will be built, and graphene and related products will form a 10 billion-yuan industry scale; by the end of the "15th Five-Year Plan," graphene and related products will form a 30 billion-yuan industry scale.