Swedish researchers are exploring how the country's mineral resources could support cleaner production of rare earth elements (REE) and the powerful magnets made from them. As part of the Sustainable materials and material flows research area, Martin Sahlberg is studying whether Sweden's deposits could become the foundation for a more sustainable magnet industry.
Many of the materials needed for cleaner energy systems and advanced technologies are still produced through processes that carry significant environmental costs. Rare earth magnets, for example, are largely manufactured in China, where environmental rules and industrial standards differ from those in Sweden.
Rare Earth Magnets and Global Supply Risks
"It's a geopolitical problem," says Martin Sahlberg, Professor of Materials Chemistry at Uppsala University.
"In the last year with the trade war and the US tariffs, we've seen that China halted exports of rare earth elements. We can also mention Trump's move on Greenland and the Ukraine-United States Mineral Resources Agreement as other examples of geopolitical conflicts."
