LIGHT-G-Comp Project Completes 9-Month Progress Review with Strategic Meetings in the UAE The LIGHTWEIGHT, SUSTAINABLE AND ENERGY-EFFICIENT DESIGNS AND PRODUCTION METHODS FOR UPCYCLED GRAPHENE REINFORCED HYBRID COMPOSITES (Light-G-Comp) project conducted its 9-month progress review through a series of high-level technical meetings and site visits held on 21st–22ndNovember 2025 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The international consortium gathered at Khalifa University main campus in Abu Dhabi, and visited Strata Manufacturing PJSC facilities in Al Ain, marking another significant step forward in the development of next-generation sustainable composite technologies. The project is jointly led by two PIs from Türkiye and the UAE.

The LIGHTWEIGHT, SUSTAINABLE AND ENERGY-EFFICIENT DESIGNS AND PRODUCTION METHODS FOR UPCYCLED GRAPHENE REINFORCED HYBRID COMPOSITES (Light-G-Comp) project conducted its 9-month progress review through a series of high-level technical meetings and site visits held on 21st–22ndNovember 2025 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The international consortium gathered at Khalifa University main campus in Abu Dhabi, and visited Strata Manufacturing PJSC facilities in Al Ain, marking another significant step forward in the development of next-generation sustainable composite technologies. The project is jointly led by two PIs from Türkiye and the UAE. On the Türkiye side, scientific leadership is carried out by the PI Prof. Dr. Burcu Saner Okan and co-I Prof. Dr. Mehmet Yıldız from Sabancı University. Sabancı University team plays a central role in the project’s core research areas, including advanced recycling techniques, upcycled graphene integration, hybrid structure designs, and energy-efficient thermoplastic composite processing. On the UAE side, the project is coordinated by PI Assistant Professor Yarjan Abdul Samad, co-PI and University President H.E. Prof. Ebrahim Al Hajri, and co-PI Prof. Yahya Zweiri at Khalifa University. The consortium also includes strong industrial partners: Eurotec Engineering Plastics, Farplas Automotive, and Euronova Next-Generation Sustainable Plastic Materials Company from Türkiye. The Light-G-Comp project is funded and overseen by the Research & Innovation Center for Graphene and 2D Materials (RIC2D) at Khalifa University, which contributes advanced research infrastructure and expertise in graphene technologies. During the meetings held at Khalifa University, the partners evaluated the scientific and technical progress achieved in the first nine months. Presentations highlighted recent advancements in upcycled graphene production, sustainable composite formulations, recycling-driven material design strategies, and hybrid composite architectures aimed at reducing carbon footprint and improving manufacturability. On the second day, the delegation visited Strata Manufacturing PJSC in Al Ain for an in-depth tour of the aerospace composite production facilities. Discussions focused on thermoplastic composite applications, joining methods, scalable manufacturing technologies, and pathways for integrating hybrid structures into high-performance aerospace components. The Light-G-Comp project continues to demonstrate strong momentum, supported by close collaboration between academic and industrial partners in Türkiye and the UAE. The next phase of the project will emphasize industrial demonstrations, prototype development, and the advancement of circular, energy-efficient composite technologies for automotive and aerospace applications. For more details about the project, visit: https://light-g-comp.com

Prof. Dr. Burcu Saner Okan’a uluslararası ödül Sabancı Üniversitesi Mühendislik ve Doğa Bilimleri Fakültesi öğretim üyesi ve Euronova Şirketi’nin kurucu ortağı ve CTO’su Prof.

Sabancı Üniversitesi Mühendislik ve Doğa Bilimleri Fakültesi öğretim üyesi ve Euronova Şirketi’nin kurucu ortağı ve CTO’su Prof. Dr. Burcu Saner Okan, Abu Dhabi’de Khalifa University ev sahipliğinde düzenlenen I2DM Summit 2025 kapsamında gerçekleştirilen pitching yarışmasında İkincilik Ödülü (Certificate of Achievement – 2nd Place) kazandı. Bu başarı, Dr. Okan’ın ve Euronova’nın sürdürülebilir ileri malzemeler, nano-mühendislik ve döngüsel termoplastik kompozitler üzerine geliştirdiği yenilikçi yaklaşımların uluslararası ölçekte takdir edildiğini gösteriyor. Başarıya giden süreçte, Khalifa University The Research & Innovation Center for Graphene and 2D Materials (RIC2D) ile yürütülen kapsamlı iş birliği önemli bir etki yarattı. RIC2D ekibiyle birlikte gerçekleştirilen çalışmalar, hem bilimsel çıktıları güçlendirdi hem de sürdürülebilir malzemeler alanındaki yeniliklerin uygulamaya yönelik etkisini artırdı. Dr. Saner Okan, etkinlikte ayrıca “Sustainable Nanoengineering for Next-Generation Circular Thermoplastic Composites”başlıklı bir keynote konuşması yaparak geleceğin malzeme teknolojilerine yönelik araştırma ve vizyonunu paylaştı. Bu başarı, Sabancı Üniversitesi’nin sürdürülebilir malzemeler ve ileri kompozit teknolojileri alanındaki uluslararası görünürlüğünü ve etki alanını daha da güçlendiren önemli bir adım oldu.