LONDON (Jan. 15, 11:30 a.m. ET) — The British Plastics Federation (BPF) is backing calls for more support for the development of graphene, a "super material" discovered by researchers at the University of Manchester.

More conductive than copper, more flexible than rubber and stronger than steel, graphene holds out the promise of a revolution in materials development – a fact not lost on the current government, which has already pledged 60 million pounds ($96.5 million) to graphene-based research.

However, global competition is building – China has already filed 2,204 patents while the UK languishes on just 54.

“It is of concern that the UK has so few patents on graphene compared to China,” said Peter Davis, the BPF’s director-general. “Government has certainly provided some initial support but it is worrying that UK financiers and companies cannot see the enormous potential and ensure development of Graphene takes place in the UK.

“Plastics will be an important carrier material for this ground breaking product.”