LONDON: Directa Plus, a leading producer and supplier of graphene nanoplatelets based products for use in consumer and industrial markets, has signed a technical and commercial agreement with Italdesign S.p.A, a global leader in automotive design and engineering, a news release said.

Part of Volkswagen AG, Italdesign also specialises in styling, engineering, prototyping and testing services, and the manufacture of ULSP (ultra-low series production).

The partnership between Directa Plus and Italdesign has been signed for an initial nine years to explore, test, and build automotive components that are enhanced by the properties of the Company’s proprietary graphene technology. Applications could include car interiors, paints, and mechanical components.

Giulio Cesareo, Chief Executive of Directa Plus, commented: “Italdesign is an unquestioned leader in automotive design and engineering, having played a part in the design in some of the world’s highest performing, and highest selling cars over the last 50 years.

“It is a pleasure to be able to work with some of the finest minds in the automotive industry to realise the benefits and enhancements that graphene can bring to motor vehicles.

“This is a key step in bringing Directa Plus’s expertise in graphene manufacturing and product engineering into an automotive industrial vertical, and we are confident this agreement will prove an excellent foundation for future growth in the sector.”