INBRAIN Neuroelectronics secures additional funding from the European Comission EIC programme to increase the readiness level of its BCI technology

by Virginia Greco

Thanks to this European Innovation Council Transition grant, the ‘GphT-BCI’ project will make progress in the development of brain-computer interfaces based on flexible graphene transistors, towards their application in the clinical environment.

A new project led by INBRAIN Neuroelectronics, a spin-off company originated from ICN2 –specifically, the Advanced Electronic Materials and Devices Group led by Prof. José Antonio Garrido– and ICREA, with the participation of the IMB-CNM-CSIC, will be funded by the European Union through the European Innovation Council (EIC) Transition programme. The EU recently announced the selection of 19 projects for funding, following the April 2023 EIC Transition cut-off.

The project, named 'Graphene Transistors for High-Density Brain-Computer Interfaces' (GphT-BCI), will leverage graphene-based field-effect transistors (FETs) and flexible neural probes to monitor and record in high resolution brain activity and electrophysiological markers associated with brain disorders, such as epilepsy and speech impairement. Thanks to the extraordinary properties of graphene, these transistors will enable INBRAIN to design high-resolution brain-computer interfaces with multiplexing capabilities and sensitivity across a wide range of frequencies. Compared to existing approaches, these systems are more easily integrated and less invasive. Moreover, their flexibility allows adaptation to the brain tissue where they are implanted.

The primary objective of the GphT-BCI project is to advance the technology to higher readiness levels, paving the way for its transition to the clinical environment. Indeed, the EIC Transition programme specifically supports projects that aim to further develop and validate novel technologies already demonstrated in the lab, facilitating their translation into relevant application environments, and/or developing a business case and model for future commercialization.

The European Innovation Council selected a total of 19 projects among 180 eligible submissions. They will collectively receiving €46.76 million of EU financial contribution (up to €2.5 million each). Find here more information.