Versarien a step closer to open manufacturing centre in China

By Nicky Godding

19 November 2018

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Advanced materials engineering group, Versarien Plc, in Gloucestershire, has entered into a Memorandum of Understand with Jinan High-tech Financial Investment Co. Ltd (JHFI) in connection with the company's ongoing plans to establish a manufacturing centre in China.

The memorandum covers the plans for the Cheltenham-based company and JHFI to establish a joint venture for the manufacture and sale of the company's Nanene, Graphinks and other related graphene products in Jinan Innovation Zone, in the Shandong Province.

Subject to the satisfactory completion of negotiations, it is envisaged that JHFI will provide funding for the venture in a structure to be agreed.

The memorandum signed by Li Hao, Chairman of JHFI, included the following statement: "JHFI specially organised experts to hold a demonstration meeting with regard to graphene project. Experts at the demonstration meeting consider that the graphene technology of Versarien has certain world leading position and can be introduced in China to strengthen technical co-operation between China and the UK".

Neill Ricketts, Chief Executive of Versarien, said: "We are very pleased to be making progress in establishing a Chinese graphene manufacturing base for Versarien in Jinan and I am very grateful for the significant support we are continuing to receive from both Chinese governmental and industrial parties.

"Before entering into this Memorandum JHFI have undertaken significant analysis of our graphene products and we are delighted to note that they consider them to be world leading.

"It is not intended that this will be our sole base in China, as the Chinese opportunity is so large, but our planned venture in Jinan is intended to form the centre of the Qilu Graphene Valley and pave the way to Versarien establishing a world class base in the Asian region.

"We are continuing detailed discussions with a number of other parties in China and assessing opportunities in other countries across the world. It is important for us to have facilities close to manufacturing centres worldwide and we will continue to pursue this strategy. I look forward to providing further updates as matters progress."

By Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe.

After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts.

She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.