A key milestone for Europe’s magnet recycling efforts
The HARMONY project consortium gathered in San Sebastián, Spain, 8-11 September 2025 for its Month 21 (M21) Review Meeting, organised and hosted by CEIT. Partners from across Europe met in person to review progress, align on next steps, and discuss the path towards impact.
The meeting focused on the full rare earth permanent magnetA permanent magnet i… More value chain. This includes collection, dismantling, recycling, manufacturing, validation, and exploitation. Reviewers positively assessed the project’s technical progress and strategic direction.
Strong progress across the full value chain
During the review, partners presented results from all work packages. Together, these results demonstrate that circular magnet solutions are moving from research to industrial relevance.
Key discussions covered both direct and indirect recycling routes, as well as their integration into real applications. The consortium also highlighted advances in sustainability assessment and standardisation.
Key achievements highlighted at the meeting include:
- Successful advancement of direct and indirect recycling processes for NdFeB magnetsNdFeB magnets, also … More, reaching pilot-scale demonstrations.
- Manufacturing and testing of sintered and bonded magnets with recycled rare earth content, validated in relevant industrial environments.
- Progress in eco-design and magnet extraction concepts for electric motors and wind energy applications.
- Delivery of life cycle, economic, and social assessments supporting the environmental and economic viability of the HARMONY solutions.
- Strong alignment on exploitation, standardisation, and upskilling activities to support market uptake beyond the project lifetime.
Together, these achievements strengthen Europe’s capacity to secure critical raw materials through circular solutions.
Looking ahead to the final project phase
The M21 Review Meeting marks a transition point for HARMONY. The project now enters its next phase, with a strong focus on validation, exploitation, and real-world impact.
By combining technology development with sustainability analysis and stakeholder engagement, HARMONY continues to support a more resilient and circular European magnet value chain.