This proposal describes the third core project of the Graphene Flagship. It forms the fourth phase of the FET flagship and is characterized by a continued transition towards higher technology readiness levels, without jeopardizing our strong commitment to fundamental research. Compared to the second core project, this phase includes a substantial increase in the market-motivated technological spearhead projects, which account for about 30% of the overall budget. The broader fundamental and applied research themes are pursued by 15 work packages and supported by four work packages on innovation, industrialization, dissemination and management. The consortium that is involved in this project includes over 150 academic and industrial partners in over 20 European countries.

Innovative graphene-based electronic devices have been studied, demonstrated and prototyped during the Graphene FET Flagship project Graphene Electronic Devices include GFETs (Graphene Field-Effect Transistors) that are multipurpose chips that can be used in advanced photonics (photosensors, x-ray sensors, optical communications) and sensors (chemical sensors, biosensors, hall sensors, pressure sensors) among other applications Currently, GFET devices are manually produced in a labour intensive, small scale (individual prototypes), small wafer size (<50mm) and very low production yield (high % of device failure) The research community and industry have a great interest in these devices The current Semiconductor manufacturers (Fabs) are focused in very large volume markets (+ 1 million units) so there is an opportunity for a Graphene Fab (GFAB) that produces GFETs according to customer’s specifications The objective of this project is to assess the feasibility of launching a new “Graphene Electronic Devices Fab” (GFAB) business that will offer Graphene Electronic Device fabrication to the industry and research centres Specially, the so called GFETs (Graphene Field Effect Transistors) have been developed during the FET Graphene Flagship project. GFETs are a special type of Graphene Electronic Device that offer higher performance for a wide range of applications The Graphene Electronic Devices must be produced under certified cleanroom manufacturing environment (ISO verified) using industry standard wafer sizes (150mm, 200mm and/or 300mm) offering a reliable, cost-competitive, fast and high yield product (ideally +95% yield). A complete supply chain must be defined by the incorporation of partners in the materials producers, IC (integrated circuits) design, semiconductor fabs, and equipment manufacturers sectors. This business will have an outstanding impact in the photonics and sensors industries and will accelerate the adoption of Graphene technology in other applica

SENSOPAD initiative heralds a transformative era in women's health by addressing the longstanding challenges posed by Endometriosis (ED). ED's early detection is often underdiagnosed due to its asymptomatic nature, pivotal for improved health outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. SENSOPAD introduces two pioneering ED sensing systems: sensoPAD, seamlessly integrated into sanitary pads, and sensoMFgFET, a portable Point-of-Care (POC) device. SensoPAD comprises three Biological Processing Units (BPU) - BPU-1, BPU-2, and BPU-3 - ensuring continuous monitoring. BPU-1 combines an electrochemical sensor with RFID, while BPU-2 merges a chemical-based fuel cell with an electrochromic cell. BPU-3, an energetically autonomous unit, synergizes BPU-1 and BPU-2 capabilities for seamless monitoring. SensoMFgFET, a POC device, utilizes microfluidic systems and bio-conjugated gFET with RFID functionality, capturing specific DNA SNPs from the menstrual fluid as early ED indicators. Both devices are complemented by a user-friendly mobile application enabling real-time data acquisition and analysis. An advanced cloud platform integrated with AI enhances diagnostic accuracy. This innovative approach shifts the paradigm in ED detection, empowering women, clinicians, and healthcare systems. SensoPAD detects biomarkers, providing insights during menstrual cycles. If concerns arise during its use, users transition to sensoMFgFET at clinical points, combining at-home convenience with clinical precision. SENSOPAD aims to reduce ED diagnosis time from eight years to days, enabling early treatment, preventing symptom deterioration, optimizing infertility care, and streamlining healthcare journeys. Integrating SENSOPADs with a mobile app and AI-enriched cloud platform ensures accurate, cost-effective diagnostics, detecting silent instances of ED, and signifies a paradigm shift, fostering informed, proactive, and inclusive healthcare decisions for women worldwide.

This project is the second in the series of EC-financed parts of the Graphene Flagship. The Graphene Flagship is a 10 year research and innovation endeavour with a total project cost of 1,000,000,000 euros, funded jointly by the European Commission and member states and associated countries. The first part of the Flagship was a 30-month Collaborative Project, Coordination and Support Action (CP-CSA) under the 7th framework program (2013-2016), while this and the following parts are implemented as Core Projects under the Horizon 2020 framework. The mission of the Graphene Flagship is to take graphene and related layered materials from a state of raw potential to a point where they can revolutionise multiple industries. This will bring a new dimension to future technology – a faster, thinner, stronger, flexible, and broadband revolution. Our program will put Europe firmly at the heart of the process, with a manifold return on the EU investment, both in terms of technological innovation and economic growth. To realise this vision, we have brought together a larger European consortium with about 150 partners in 23 countries. The partners represent academia, research institutes and industries, which work closely together in 15 technical work packages and five supporting work packages covering the entire value chain from materials to components and systems. As time progresses, the centre of gravity of the Flagship moves towards applications, which is reflected in the increasing importance of the higher - system - levels of the value chain. In this first core project the main focus is on components and initial system level tasks. The first core project is divided into 4 divisions, which in turn comprise 3 to 5 work packages on related topics. A fifth, external division acts as a link to the parts of the Flagship that are funded by the member states and associated countries, or by other funding sources. This creates a collaborative framework for the entire Flagship.

Proteases recently emerged as a promising new class of biomarkers with a broad diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic potential for different human diseases including neurological and psychiatric diseases, several types of cancer, and immune system disorders. However, there is a lack of tools for real-time activity analysis of disease-related protease biomarkers. To address this issue, we propose to develop a highly sensitive graphene-based biosensor platform for parallel detection of multiple proteases in serum. We will exploit a new label-free sensing mechanism based on charge removal due to cleavage of designer peptides by proteases. As a specific business case, we plan to address therapy response prediction along treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). MDD is one of the most common and burdensome mental disorders worldwide. MDD is also among the most expensive brain diseases in Europe. While effective treatments exist, there is a high variability in treatment response. There are no serum-based tests to predict personalized therapy for MDD patients. The effective treatment is identified through trial and error, a great burden for patients and the health care system. A rapid, sensitive and easy-to-use test would allow faster and more precise treatment identification, improving therapy outcomes and reducing hospitalization times. Here, we plan to detect two protease biomarkers associated with MDD. The biosensors will be validated in clinical serum samples. Arrays of graphene biosensors will be integrated on silicon wafers with a multiplexed readout matrix to realize a miniaturized sensor system with multi-analyte detection capability, high dynamic range, high precision, low detection limit, and low material consumption. The resulting platform technology may enable various point-of-care diagnostic and therapy prediction tools. This will help secure industrial leadership of the EU over the entire value chain of novel graphene-based bio-analytical tools.