BEDIMENSIONAL INAUGURATES A NEW PRODUCTION PLANT IN GENOA

OVER 3 TONS A YEAR OF GRAPHENE AND OTHER TWO-DIMENSIONAL CRYSTALS

The plant will be the first in the world to produce two-dimensional crystals on an industrial scale.

BeDimensional is set to build two new batch lines in another industrial area in Italy for the construction of an additional production plant by 2027.

The Group has secured a €20 million loan from the EIB in the form of venture debt to support this scale up in production capacity, expected to reach over 30 tons annually by 2028.

Genoa, 18 October 2024 – BeDimensional has inaugurated its new plant in Genoa for the production of two-dimensional (2D) crystals (BEFAB – BeDimensional Fabrication plant). The plant will produce primarily few-layer graphene and few-layer hexagonal boron nitride.

BeDimensional’s plant will be the first in the world capable of producing two-dimensional crystals with atomic-level precision on an industrial scale, establishing Italy and Europe as leaders in an industry poised for exponential growth in the coming years and contributing to reduce Europe’s reliance on critical materials imports for key technologies and to enhance its industrial autonomy.

Founded as a spin-off from the Graphene Labs at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), a global centre of excellence in new materials research, including 2D materials, BeDimensional aims to produce two-dimensional crystals at industrial scale and competitive costs, revolutionizing the manufacturing sector with high-performance, efficient, and sustainable materials.

The event in Genoa was attended by distinguished representatives from the academic and research sectors, Members of Parliament, officials from the Liguria Region and the Municipality of Genoa, executives from BeDimensional’s partner companies, and prominent figures from the financial community.

Key participants included Gabriele Galateri di Genola and Giorgio Metta, President and Scientific Director of IIT, and Gelsomina Vigliotti, Vice President of the EIB, who were interviewed by Massimo Sideri, a journalist from Corriere della Sera.

Additionally, the event featured two discussion panels focused on innovation and the role of finance in the technology sector, with particular attention to strategic materials and deeptech. These topics were discussed by Francesco Bonaccorso (Scientific Director, BeDimensional),Giovanni Drago (Head of Industrial and Strategic Development, BeDimensional), Emanuele Ferraris (Plant Manager, BeDimensional), Elisabetta Gaspari (Managing Director, Vagotex Windtex), Antonio Amico (Head of New Feedstock and Energy Carriers Research Center, Eni), Giuseppe Puccio (General Director, Banca Akros), and Stefano Peroncini (CEO, EUREKA! Venture SGR).

At the inauguration, BeDimensional announced an investment of over €40 million—€20 million of which comes through a financing agreement with the EIB in the form of venture debt—to support further industrial expansion, with the opening of a new production plant in Italy slated to begin operations by 2027.

BeDimensional’s current and future shareholders will provide an additional €5 million to support the company’s development plans.

With the newly inaugurated production line in Genoa, as well as the forthcoming production plant, BeDimensional aims to rapidly scale production from 3 to 30 tons by 2028 and, in the next few years, to 70 tons.

The industrial plan provides for hiring specialized and qualified staff: by the end of this year, 3 to 5 new employees will join the Genoa plant, bringing the total workforce to 50, and an additional 10 employees will be hired for the new facility.

Vittorio Pellegrini, CEO of BeDimensional, stated: “We are at the beginning of novel greentech market opportunities that will leverage on the increased production capacity of high-quality pristine two-dimensional crystals—graphene and beyond. We are excited and grateful that the EIB has decided to join our investors to support our industrial expansion. Together with all the people that work in BeDimensional, we are committed to becoming a champion of this emerging market, securing Europe a leadership position in the production and supply of these advanced materials.”

“Witnessing the growth and success of a vision that started back in 2016 within our labs at the Italian Institute of Technology, when BeDimensional was launched as a start-up, founded on the solid assessments made by our Technology Transfer and proven over the years to be pioneering, makes us proud,” said Giorgio Metta, Scientific Director of the Italian Institute of Technology. “It motivates us to continue pursuing, with the same enthusiasm, our dual mission within the new 2024-2029 strategic plan: supporting curiosity-driven research and simultaneously transferring the most promising outputs to the market to contribute to the country’s economic growth.”

“This project is a perfect example of how the EIB can help European innovators develop new technologies that are essential for the EU’s industrial base and green transition,” said EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti. “We are contributing to Europe’s technological leadership, reducing our dependence on external suppliers, and creating highly skilled jobs.”

The Graphene Market

Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice, first isolated in 2004. It has become symbolic of the broader category of 2D crystals, the new frontier of materials science. Due to their extraordinary properties, 2D crystal-based additives are already being applied in various sectors: silicon anodes in lithium-ion batteries, high-performance polymer composites, anti-corrosion coatings, electrical insulators, waterproof and breathable fabrics, conductive adhesives, and lubricants.

The few-layer graphene and 2D crystal market is currently characterized by a high degree of innovation and R&D. The market is still nascent, currently limited by factors such as cost and scale of production, lack of material consistency and standards, and limited industry awareness and adoption.

Over the next decade, these challenges are expected to be overcome, with accelerated adoption driven by investments in industrial capacity, high-quality production, and proof-of-concept applications. Following this trajectory, the market could potentially reach a value of €1.8 billion by 2033.

BeDimensional’s Products and Applications

BeDimensional currently markets two products:

G-Leaf is a powder of few-layer graphene (FLG) that meets ISO standards, with a thickness of fewer than 10 atomic layers, making it one of the purest and most high-performance materials on the market. It is dark grey, mechanically strong, and an excellent electrical and thermal conductor. It has been used to develop a silicon-graphene composite for lithium-ion batteries, developed in collaboration with a major battery producer, which increases storage capacity by 30%. G-Leaf is also used to develop a new class of lubricants free of metal-based additives, with friction reduced by 30%. It is also used to reinforce plastics, create thermally active paints for the construction sector that improve heat management, and to produce paints and coatings that protect against UV radiation and aging.

B-Leaf is a few-layer hexagonal boron nitride (FLhBN) powder, with a thickness of fewer than 10 atomic layers. B-Leaf is white, mechanically and chemically resistant, anti-corrosive, and an exceptional electrical insulator and thermal conductor. Its properties make it ideal for applications that combine wearable technology, luxury, and performance. Thanks to recent collaborations with textile and leather specialists, BeDimensional is redefining the standards of Made in Italy fashion and apparel, pushing the boundaries of the Italian luxury fashion sector.

BEDIMENSIONAL, COMPANY PROFILE

BeDimensional is a leading producer of Few-Layer Graphene (FLG) and Few-Layer Hexagonal Boron Nitride (FLhBN or FLB). Its mission is to scale up production of these two-dimensional crystals for industrial use at competitive costs, revolutionizing manufacturing with more efficient and sustainable materials. As a spin-off from the Italian Institute of Technology’s Graphene Labs, BeDimensional leverages deep scientific expertise to drive rapid industrialization. Its process produces FLG and FLhBN with atomic-level thickness, the highest quality on the market, which can easily be integrated into any material to enhance performance and durability. BeDimensional’s technologies are applied across industries, in energy storage and conversion products, smart textiles, paints, coatings, and composite materials. Its growth potential has attracted major investors, including Eni Next and venture capital funds like CDP Venture, Eureka! Venture, and Nova Capital. The EIB investment follows BeDimensional’s collaboration, since its founding, with the EU’s Graphene Flagship, the community’s largest investment in research and development dedicated to bringing 2D materials to market.