What does it take to build a resilient European value chain for rare earth elements and permanent magnets? On 25 March 2026, leading EU projects came together to move beyond discussion and focus on concrete action.
The Iberian Sustainable Mining Cluster (ISMC) hosted the online clustering event within the PERMANET project. The session brought together initiatives working across the full value chain, including raw materials, processing, recycling, manufacturing and advanced magnet innovation.
Building a stronger European magnet value chain
The session opened with a strategic overview of Europe’s magnet ecosystem. Speakers showed how different projects contribute to a more connected system.
Sebastian Tauciuc (CLIC Innovation, REMHub) introduced the REMHub digital platform. This upcoming hub will support technology scaling and connect projects with industry and investors. The platform aims to support business development across the value chain and is expected to open later this year.
Maeva Pratlong (Steinbeis Europa Zentrum), representing REEsilience, HARMONY and GREENE, outlined how projects link across the value chain. She emphasised the need to connect upstream materials, recycling and manufacturing efforts.
Dr. Sebastián García Galán (Universidad de Jaén, SICAPERMA) focused on circular approaches to magnet production. He stressed that teams must align technical feasibility with economic sustainability.
Key discussion: bottlenecks and opportunities
The moderated exchange brought out clear, and sometimes differing, perspectives on the main barriers facing Europe’s magnet value chain:
Economic competitiveness and financing
Sebastian Tauciuc (REMHub) pointed to the lack of viable business cases, noting that recycling remains more expensive than primary materials, particularly compared to imports from China. Limited access to financing and unclear market conditions make industrial scale-up difficult.
Maeva Pratlong (Steinbeis, REEsilience/HARMONY/GREENE) reinforced this, pointing to price pressure and fragmented efforts in Europe. She stressed that stakeholders must commit for the long term and share risks. Without this, progress across the European magnet value chain will remain slow.
Dr. García Galán (SICAPERMA) emphasised that economic sustainability forms the main bottleneck, not technical capability.
Public awareness and demand
Speakers agreed that many technologies are already proven. The challenge lies in creating the right framework conditions for deployment.
Maeva Pratlong noted that Europe tends to be more risk-averse, slowing adoption. Additionally, Tauciuc stressed the need to actively shape markets, engage investors and create incentives that support emerging technologies.
From pilot to industrial scale
All three experts identified a stable regulatory framework as essential. Without predictability, private investment remains limited.
Key areas mentioned included improved waste legislation, material traceability, and mechanisms to prevent unfair competition.
Policy, regulation and market conditions
The discussion also touched on societal awareness. Permanent magnets are critical for technologies such as electric vehicles and wind energy, yet their role is largely invisible to the public.
Pratlong highlighted that increasing awareness could help create market pull, similar to shifts seen in other sustainability debate.
HARMONY’s perspective on the European magnet value chain
For HARMONY, the discussion confirmed that technological progress alone is not enough. Advancing magnet recycling in Europe requires coordinated action across policy, industry and research.
The project contributes to this effort by developing recycling solutions while actively engaging in cross-project collaboration to create a more resilient and sustainable European magnet value chain
Next steps and collaboration opportunities
The event closed with a clear focus on action. Participants agreed to continue collaboration beyond the workshop.
Participants highlighted practical next steps, including:
- strengthening networks and maintaining direct exchange
- aligning stakeholder engagement, particularly with industry and investors
- contributing to policy developments such as the Critical Raw Materials Act
- increasing visibility of solutions and capabilities across projects
As Maeva Pratlong noted, Europe must take an active role in defining standards and shaping the market – otherwise others will do it.
Interested in collaboration or learning more about HARMONY’s work on magnet recycling? Explore our results and connect with the project.