Rare Earth Permanent Magnet Manufacturing: Innovation landscape report
This report explores UK capabilities and innovation opportunities in rare earth permanent magnet manufacturing.
Produced by: Carbon Limiting Technologies for Innovate UK
Overview
The Circular Critical Materials Supply Chain (CLIMATES) programme worked on a series of groundbreaking innovation landscape reports, aimed at securing and innovating across the rare earth elements (REEs) value chain.
This report examines the innovation landscape for Rare Earth Permanent Magnet (REPM) manufacturing. It assesses current methods, innovation areas, UK capabilities, and global benchmarks, providing strategic recommendations to improve competitiveness and resilience in the REE supply chain.
Key findings
This report explores the following key innovation needs and opportunities in rare earth permanent magnet manufacturing:
- Make assembly for REPMs into end products easier
- Develop rapid and reconfigurable supply in the UK
- Reduction of heavy REEs (HREE) in magnets
- Develop REE magnets for the aerospace industry
- Workforce development
- Stable early-stage financial funding
- International collaborations
More details about this publication
Context
This Innovation Landscape Report on Rare Earth Permanent Magnet (REPM) Manufacturing forms part of a series of reports into the UK Rare Earth Elements (REEs) Value Chain, commissioned by Innovate UK as part of the Circular Critical Materials Supply Chains (CLIMATES) Programme which was established to develop and support critical materials supply chains within the UK, beginning with REEs.
There are six publications in this series – an executive summary and five innovation landscape reports. Each report identifies UK capabilities, global comparisons, and innovation opportunities.
Purpose
The reports highlight the strategic importance of REEs to the UK economy, emphasising their role in clean energy and digital technologies. Innovation is seen as key factor in the UK to building resilience and reducing dependency on monopolised global sources.
This report reviews the UK innovation landscape for REPM manufacturing and how it can be leveraged to increase competitiveness and reduce vulnerabilities in the REPM supply chain. Specifically, we examine the current state of magnet manufacturing, identify key innovation areas, assess the UK’s capabilities, and map them against its innovation needs to outline challenges and opportunities.
What’s included
- Executive summary
- Background context on magnet manufacturing
- Mapping the current magnet manufacture UK innovation landscape
- Assessing UK innovation landscape challenges and needs
Related reports in this series
- Rare Earth Value Chain: Executive summary
- Rare Earth Circular Economy: Innovation landscape report
- Rare Earth Processing: Innovation landscape report
- Rare Earth Permanent Magnet Alternatives: Innovation landscape report
- Rare Earth Exploration, Extraction, Beneficiation and Concentration: Innovation landscape report
Related programmes
Critical Materials Supply Chain Innovation Network
Connect with partners and access funding, collaboration and commercial opportunities that strengthen the UK’s critical materials supply chains.
Circular Critical Materials Supply Chains
The CLIMATES programme supports the development of resilient, UK-based supply chains for rare earth elements. It aims to strengthen collaboration across sectors and build robust, circular supply chains ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical materials.