In November 2013, the GLADIATOR consortium announced the launch of the GLADIATOR research project on its website. The goal of GLADIATOR (Graphene Layers: Production, Characterization and Integration) is to improve the quality and size of CVD graphene layers and reduce their production costs within 42 months. This should make the use of graphene, for example in the field of transparent electrodes, more attractive.

Until now, indium tin oxide (ITO = indium tin oxide) has been used here. A substance that has been used for the production of transparent electrodes in liquid crystal displays, organic light-emitting diodes and touch screens.

Targeting the global transparent electrode market (estimated to be worth over $11,000 million in 2016), GLADIATOR aims to demonstrate that graphene can compete with ITO in the following two areas:

1. In the power range, because it delivers over 90% transparency and layer resistance below 10W/sq. m.
2. In the cost area, because here the price per square meter will be less than 30 EUR.

16 parties from 7 countries are part of the GLADIATOR consortium. More than half of them are companies, the rest are universities and research institutions. The research project is partly funded by the European Commission (FP7 grant agreement No 604000). Further information can be found on the GLADIATOR project website.