SUNGKYUNKWAN UNIVERSITY (SKKU), SEOUL, KOREA
Graphene, the so called "dream material" because if its remarkable flexibility, strength and conductive properties, has been one of Sungkyunkwan University's (SKKU) most important research areas. Now, research by Cambridge Intellectual Property Ltd. (Cambridge IP), a British consulting firm, shows that SKKU is the university that has filed the highest number of graphene-related patents in the world, along with Samsung, SKKU's most important corporate partner.
According to the report, Samsung holds 407 graphene related patents. SKKU also registered 134 patents, and this is the largest number among universities. As for national rankings, institutions from China hold 2,204 patents, those from the United States hold 1,754 patents, South Korean organizations hold 1,160 patents and UK institutions hold 54 patents.
South Korea's remarkable performance is credited to the aggressive investment by government, universities and companies. The discoverer of graphene, Prof. Andre Geim at the University of Manchester told the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC): "If something is happening in Korea it's because Samsung have an institute - there is nothing like that in [the United Kingdom]."
The president of SKKU, Prof. Jun Young Kim said: "Since 2005 when the SKKU Advanced Institute of Nano Technology (SAINT) established, we devoted our effort to recruit quality researchers in graphene development. Outstanding faculty members also supported many different disciplines for integrated research and this effective ways leads us to hold quite a good number of patents."
The complete article from BBC News is available here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20975580
