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Paragraf and the University of Cambridge received a combined £718,617 in Innovate UK support for MaGIC Memory, a research project developing a proof-of-concept graphene-based memory device. The proposed device combines graphene and ferroelectric materials on silicon; the project’s announced goal includes a graphene-ferroelectric field-effect transistor (G-FeFET). Paragraf’s forecast of an order-of-magnitude power saving is a projected benefit, not a reported test result.

What the grant funds

MaGIC Memory is short for “Manufacturable Graphene Electronic Memory Devices in the UK.” The project aims to investigate whether graphene and ferroelectric materials can be combined to make memory devices on a silicon platform. It is a research and development effort, not an announcement of a commercially available memory product.

In its 6 February 2025 announcement, Paragraf said it received £419,419 and Prof. Judith Driscoll’s University of Cambridge research group received £299,198. Together, those allocations total £718,617. UKRI Gateway to Research lists the same total for MaGIC Memory and gives the project period as January 2025 to December 2026.

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UKRI also announced £11.5 million across 16 projects in a wider semiconductor-manufacturing funding portfolio in 2024. That is a separate portfolio figure, not MaGIC Memory’s award amount. UKRI’s announcement describes that broader funding.

How the proposed graphene memory works

Paragraf describes a plan to deposit ferroelectric materials onto its transfer-free graphene, using silicon as the platform. One target is a graphene-ferroelectric field-effect transistor, or G-FeFET. In broad terms, a FeFET uses a ferroelectric material in a transistor structure to represent stored information; the project proposes graphene as part of that device architecture.

The technical question is whether this materials combination can be made into a workable memory device. Calling it a proof of concept matters: the announcement describes development work toward a prototype, not a finished component with published specifications. Paragraf’s grant announcement outlines the proposed approach.

Has the project demonstrated the promised power savings?

No measured power-saving result is reported in the cited project announcement or UKRI award listing. Paragraf said the approach was expected to offer power savings of an order of magnitude compared with existing memory technology. That should be read as a projection motivating the project, not as an independently verified or achieved performance figure.

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The available sources also do not provide measured energy per operation, read or write speed, data retention, endurance, memory density, manufacturing yield, or a completed prototype result. Those measures would be needed to judge how the proposed device compares with existing memory in practice.

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Project status and what remains unknown

UKRI Gateway to Research lists MaGIC Memory’s period as January 2025 through December 2026, and its organisation page indicated data updated on 6 July 2026. That schedule establishes the listed project window, but not whether the prototype was completed or what it achieved. The award details and period can be checked in the UKRI Gateway to Research listing for Paragraf.

The announcement records support from both project participants: Prof. Driscoll described the collaboration as an exciting prospect, while Paragraf CEO Simon Thomas discussed the need for storage that uses less energy and produces less heat. These statements explain the collaborators’ motivation; they are not independent evidence of device performance. Paragraf’s written evidence to Parliament provides additional company context on its work: Paragraf Ltd’s 2025 evidence to the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee.

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