SEEDS, a UK-based deep-tech company developing engineered graphene platform technologies, is set to move into a new dedicated facility at NETPark (the North East Technology Park) as part of Durham County Council’s £100 million expansion of the site. This move marks SEEDS’ transition from a primarily R&D-focused operation to full-scale manufacturing, enabling the company to begin delivering customer-specific graphene-based systems for global industrial clients.
The new facility at NETPark will allow SEEDS to deploy its graphene and nano-structure ink technologies into real-world applications across microelectronics, energy storage, aerospace, automotive and advanced manufacturing. By moving into a purpose-built manufacturing environment, SEEDS aims to support international manufacturers with tailored production systems that can be rolled out anywhere in the world.
Founder and CEO Jason Chehal described the expansion as a defining moment for the company, highlighting how SEEDS has spent the past decade engineering graphene not just as a material, but as a tunable platform technology designed to solve industrial challenges at scale. With its technology now proven and market demand established, SEEDS sees clear pathways to commercial deployment in next-generation materials and electronics.
SEEDS’ growth has been closely tied to NETPark’s collaborative ecosystem, which includes the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), Durham University, and Business Durham. CPI has supported the company from early-stage research through to process refinement and scale-up, leveraging facilities such as the Graphene Applications Centre and National Printable Electronics Centre.
A strategic partnership with Mitsui & Co. Performance Materials Europe, formalized in late 2025, is helping SEEDS accelerate the commercialization of its engineered graphene platform. The collaboration enhances SEEDS’ access to global supply chains and supports the rollout of its energy storage and advanced materials solutions to international microelectronics manufacturers.
Councillor Joe Quinn, Durham County Council’s cabinet member for planning, investment and assets, has emphasized that SEEDS’ expansion at NETPark showcases the crucial role County Durham plays in the UK’s advanced manufacturing landscape and the strength of the park’s state-of-the-art lab and production facilities. For graphene-focused companies like SEEDS, NETPark offers a combination of infrastructure, technical support and industrial partnerships that can accelerate the journey from lab-scale innovation to commercial deployment.
