Last week, we celebrated Europe Day and the historic Schuman Declaration of 1950, which led to the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community, where European countries came together to pool their coal and steel production—a significant step towards economic unity and cooperation in Europe.
Decades later, as Europe celebrates its achievements and reflects on its future, the HARMONY project embodies the same spirit of collaboration and innovation that inspired the Schuman Declaration. At its core, HARMONY seeks to revolutionize the magnet industry, making it more sustainable and independent.
Rare earth elements (REEs) extracted from end-of-life NdFeB permanent magnets are essential components in numerous modern technologies, including electronics, wind turbines, and electric vehicles. However, Europe’s reliance on external sources for these critical materials poses economic and strategic challenges.
HARMONY aims to address this challenge head-on by developing a comprehensive recycling process for REEs. By securing critical value chains within Europe and creating a circular process for REE recycling, HARMONY not only reduces Europe’s dependence on external sources but also strengthens the continent’s economy and environmental sustainability.
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Aligned with the EU Circular Economy Action Plan (2020), HARMONY is paving the way for a greener future and helping achieve Europe’s carbon-neutral goals. Just as the Schuman Declaration aimed to unite Europe through coal and steel, HARMONY aims to unite Europe through sustainable magnet recycling.