Graphene – the material that you find at the end of your pencil – has been hailed as a wonder material of the 21st century. Researchers from the Centre for Graphene Science at the University of Exeter explain how it is capable of revolutionising the way our technology works, making it stronger, better and faster. Monica Craciun is Professor in the Engineering Department at the University of Exeter and a leading expert in nanomaterials. She has been awarded a prestigious Engineering Fellowship for Growth, aimed at maintaining UK’s leadership in Advanced Materials (which is one of the eight Great Technologies identified as crucial for the future prosperity of the UK).

Dimitar, who is currently a Research Consultant at Cast, was Monica’s PhD student at the University of Exeter. He came up with the idea of using graphene to make concrete stronger, which ultimately leads to 50% reduction of carbon emissions in the construction industry. His invention attracted a lot of media attention and got shortlisted for the UK TechFest 2018 awards. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx