Versarien signs collaboration with 'prominent' sporting goods brand

Advanced materials engineering group Versarien has signed a collaboration with an unnamed “prominent” global sports and fashion goods manufacturer, it announced on Thursday.

The AIM-traded firm said the collaboration would see both parties working on a number of projects involving the incorporation of Versarien's proprietary ‘Nanene’ few-layer graphene nano-platelets into polymer, leather, elastomer and textile structures.

In particular, the collaboration would aim to provide improved footwear and textile solutions aimed at the amateur and professional football sector, where the company's partner reportedly a “global presence”, with sponsorship of British, European and international top flight professional football clubs.

Versarien and the partner, which it said had multiple manufacturing plants globally, would examine a number of formulations comprising existing materials with graphene loading to assess the feasibility of these nanocomposites to provide improvements in footwear and textile applications.

The key potential benefits of the use of graphene in those products was the increased performance of moisture barriers, increased material strength, weight reduction and improved thermal conductivity, the board explained.

“We are very pleased to have entered into this latest graphene application collaboration agreement, the 14th such agreement since October last year,” said Versarien chief executive officer Neill Ricketts.

“In entering into these collaborations we are looking to engage with a wide variety of sectors where the incorporation of graphene into existing materials can have a significant benefit.”

Ricketts said the sports goods sector was “fast moving” and “very open” to the rapid adoption of new technologies.

“It is therefore a sector of significant focus for Versarien to enable a near term route to market for our high quality graphene.

“In entering into this collaboration with a globally renowned name in the football kit sector we are again ensuring we are developing a partnership with a leading company in its field.

“I look forward to providing further updates on our existing collaborations and announcing others that are currently in discussion.”