Joint Workshop at EIT Expert Forum

magnets matter!

Permanent Magnets to Enable a Green Transition in Europe

Joint Workshop at EIT RawMaterials Expert Forum

28. June 2022, 11:30 -17:30, Berlin, MövenPick Hotel

Addressing the topic “Magnets Matter! Permanent Magnets to Enable a Green Transition in Europe”, this unique workshop will cover advances in technology, innovation, integration, and circular economy of permanent magnets in Europe. Whether rare-earth-based or rare-earth-free, permanent magnets are crucial components to achieve the Green Transition in the EU, responding to the substantial increase in demand. The workshop will address the following issues, inviting key players from the academic and industrial fields:  

• Advances in technological permanent magnets (PMs): rare earth-based and rare earth-free PMs. 
• Perspectives to improve rare-earth-based PM materials and innovation in rare-earth-free PMs. 
• EU initiatives addressing criticality in PMs. 
• An industrial perspective – Integration in products: present and future of the PM sector in Europe.  
• Circular economy of magnets: recycling, design of materials and products.

Programme

11:30 Opening remarks

Alberto Bollero –  PASSENGER Coordinator, IMDEA Nanociencia

11:40 Keynote: Magnets Matter

• Konstantin Skokov  – TU Darmstadt
  Rare-earth based and rare-earth free permanent magnets for efficient energy and transport applications. 

• Sorana Luca –LITEN CEA-Tech
  Pilot plants for permanent magnets production and motors design. 

• Alena Vishina – Uppsala University
  High-throughput and data-mining search for rare-earth free permanent magnets.

• Iakovos Yakoumis – MONOLITHOS Catalysts & Recycling Ltd.
  Closing the loop: Scaling-up a recycling process for EoL permanent magnets.

Panel discussion, moderated by Alberto Bollero, IMDEA Nanociencia 

13:00 Lunch break

14:00 Poster session

Key findings from 8 projects addressing sustainability in the permanent magnet sector.

15:00 Critical raw material strategies in permanent magnets

From sourcing materials to reducing RE content, substituting RE, recycling, and addressing the needs of a circular economy, five EU-funded projects (H2020 and EIT) provide insights on how they address critical raw material strategies in permanent magnets.

• SecREEts: Sourcing materials – Securing European Critical Rare Earth Elements
  Ian Higgins, Less Common Metals

• LowReeMotors: REs-content reduction –  Rare-earth reduction in high performance permanent magnet electric machines.
  Gaizka Ugalde, Mondragon University
  

• PASSENGER: REs substitution –  Towards a successful diversification in the permanent magnet sector through substitution.
  Alberto Bollero, IMDEA Nanonciencia
  

• 3DREMAG: Reduction and efficiency by design –  3D printing of rare-earth PMs.
  Joni Reijonen, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland

• SUSMAGPRO: Recycling and Design for recycling – Sustainable Recovery, Reprocessing and Reuse of Rare-Earth Magnets in a Circular Economy.
  Carlo Burkhardt, Pforzheim University
  

16:15 – 16:45 coffee break

16:45 – 18:00 Panel Discussion

Sustainable manufacture and integration of permanent magnets

Where does the future lie for permanent magnets in Europe? To meet the challenges associated with the reduction of environmental impacts and the increasing demand for permanent magnets – particularly in the electromobile sector, diversification of their production is crucial.

This panel discussion provides unique insights on industry’s current needs and the latest technological advances. Manufacturers and integrators of permanent magnets, together with project representatives from the previous session, will discuss perspectives related to raw materials sourcing, reduction, substitution, and recycling, whether rare-earth-based or rare-earth-free.

Moderated by Carolyn Brand, Prospex Institute

• Ian Higgins, Less Common Metals  
• Paolo Bernardi, Industrie ILPEA SPA 
• Boris Saje, KOLEKTOR  
• Ricardo Altimira, IMA 
• Martin Krengel, WILO  
• Ian Higgins, H2020 SecREEts 
• Gaizka Ugalde, EIT LowReeMotors 
• Alberto Bollero, EU H2020 PASSENGER
• Joni Reijonen, EIT 3DREMAG  
• Carlo Burkhardt, EU H2020 SUSMAGPRO  

This Workshop is hosted within the sixth edition of the EIT RawMaterials Expert Forum, 27-29 June 2022 in Berlin, Europe’s leading raw materials innovation and education exchange, connecting experts and innovators from various parts of different raw materials value chains.