Expert Forum: Rare Earths and Magnets SIGN
Towards a Concerted Action on the European Rare Earth Value Chain
As the European Commission advances the Critical Raw Materials Act and prepares the RESourceEU Plan, Europe is entering a decisive phase: moving beyond upstream ambition toward full value chain execution. This conference will focus on translating policy into bankable projects and downstream industrial capacity by aligning demand visibility, financing instruments, and strategic coordination across the value chain. Bringing together industry leaders, OEMs, financiers, and policymakers, the event will define concrete actions to de-risk investment, secure offtakes, and establish globally competitive European rare earth ecosystems.
About the Forum
Hosted by EIT RawMaterials, the world's largest and most active raw materials knowledge and innovation network, this Expert Forum combines strategic policy dialogue with industry perspectives, market intelligence, technology showcases and hands-on collaboration.
The programme will explore themes spanning from Europe’s rare earth supply-and-demand outlook, the implementation of the Critical Raw Materials Act and related European initiatives, global competitive pressures, technology and manufacturing gaps, and the demand-side mechanisms required to make European projects investable.
Across two days, participants will take part in multiple forms of discussions and project showcases, networking activities, a factory visit programme and an invite-only working group focused on translating the Forum’s discussions into concrete actions.
Key Themes
- Europe’s strategic position: Understanding global and European rare earth supply-and-demand dynamics, strategic dependencies and the implications of changing international markets.
- Competitiveness and strategic autonomy: Examining how Europe can address structural cost disadvantages and create a level playing field for domestic rare earth and magnet production.
- Technology leadership: Exploring advances in metallisation, permanent magnet manufacturing, testing, validation, recycling and next-generation production technologies.
- Market creation and offtakes: Assessing how automotive, wind, defence and other major end-users can provide the demand visibility and long-term commitments needed to unlock investment.
- Concerted action: Bringing key stakeholders together to validate priorities, responsibilities and next steps for strengthening Europe’s rare earth and magnet ecosystem.
Why Attend?
including OEMs, policymakers, technology providers and investors shaping Europe’s rare earth and magnet strategy.
into future demand, domestic supply, and the strategic gaps shaping the competitiveness of Europe's rare earth and magnet value chains.
needed to scale European rare earth and magnet production.
For EIT RawMaterials' innovation, education and ecosystem activities.
Build high-level relationships with industrial partners, technology providers, investors and customers, including opportunities linked to the CRM Facility framework
Coordinating priorities across the rare earth and permanent magnet value chain.
What's Included?
- Interactive Session: Industry-focused Starter Packs for the Raw Materials and Advanced Materials Academies, identifying priority skills and knowledge gaps with participants.
- Presentations: Technology Gaps, Europe's Demand, Domestic Supply Potential, Supply Gaps, and Strategic Dependencies.
- Networking Dinner: Continue discussions and build partnerships across industry, policy, research and investment communities.
- Working Group: Securing Europe's Rare Earth Materials Value Chain (Invite Only).
Who Should Attend?
- EIT RawMaterials partners
- Rare Earths and Magnets Industry Leaders
- Policymakers and public authorities
- Investors and financial institutions
- Universities and research organisations
- Technology providers and start-ups
Also happening in Turin: Battery Materials SIGN Expert Forum, 4–5 November
The Rare Earths and Magnets SIGN is one of four Strategic Impact Group Networks convened through EIT RawMaterials' Expert Forum Series. Directly following this Forum, the same venue hosts the Battery Materials SIGN Expert Forum. Both are convened by EIT RawMaterials and scheduled back-to-back by design.
Europe's electrification runs on two supply chains, not one. Rare earths and magnets determine what powers the motor; battery materials determine what powers the cell. The same automotive OEMs and manufacturers must secure both.
If your remit spans both, secure your place at both events. Seats are limited and are expected to fill fast.
Agenda
3 November | |
| 08.30-09.00 |
Registration
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| 09.00-9.15 | Opening: Europe’s Strategic Situation on Overall Raw Materials Equation
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| 09.15-10:00 | Fireside Chat: European Industrial Competitiveness and Strategic Autonomy Moderator: Roland Gauss, Director, Innovation and Product Development, EIT RawMaterials
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| 10:00-10:15 | Keynote Speech: Building a REEsilient magnet supply chain
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| 10:15-10:30 | Presentation: Supply and demand dynamics; export controls, price variations and forecast per application use
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| 10:30-11:00 |
Coffee Break
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| 11:00-11:45 | Panel: Europe's Rare Earth Value Chain: Competitiveness and Global Market This panel will examine how Europe can strengthen industrial competitiveness in the face of cost disadvantages and market distortions, particularly from China. Discussions will focus on policy tools such as state aid, trade defence measures, green premium mechanisms, Contracts for Difference (CfDs), quotas, and tariffs to create a level playing field, support domestic industry, and enhance supply chain resilience. Moderator: David Abraham, Principal, Materium Strata
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| 11:45-12:00 | Role of ReSourceEU plan, CRMA, IAA, CEA for rawmaterials sector and importance of international partnership to de-risk the supply chains and EU initiatives for resilient supply chain
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| 12:00-13:00 |
Lunch
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| 13:00-13:15 | Keynote: Technology Leadership and making the best magnet
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| 13:15-14:00 | Panel: Building the Magnet Value Chain in Europe: Technology, Testing and Qualification This panel will address the key gaps in Europe’s magnet value chain, from metallisation to advanced magnet manufacturing. It will explore emerging technology pathways, including sintered and bonded magnets as well as recycling-based production, and discuss how integration with circularity and EU-supported projects can strengthen a resilient, competitive, and sustainable European magnet ecosystem.
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| 14:00-14:15 | Keynote: Strategic Pathways to De-risk Rare Earth Value Chain in Europe
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| 14:15-15:00 | Panel: Market Creation & Sector-Specific Demand Pull
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| 15:00-15:30 | Showcase: Disruptive Business Initiatives Moderator: Roland Gauss, Director, Innovation and Product Development, EIT RawMaterials
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| 15:30-15:50 | Heavy Rare Earth Elements: Security of Supply – What are the options Latest developments and perspectives on how Europe must secure heavy rare earth supplies to feed a resilient industrial machine – the relative contribution of primary versus secondary sources in meeting the CRMA’s 2030 targets for domestic production.
Moderator: Roland Gauss, Director, Innovation and Product Development, EIT RawMaterials
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| 15:50-16:20 |
Coffee Break
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| 16:20-17:20 | Presentation: The REEPRODUCE Solution Discover how REEPRODUCE enables closed-loop recycling of rare earth permanent magnets, from sorting and robotic dismantling to magnet extraction and rare earth recovery. The session will showcase the pilot-scale technologies and their value proposition for industrial deployment.
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| 17:20-17:50 | Interactive Session: Industry-Focused Starter Packs for the Raw Materials and Advanced Materials Academies
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| 17:50-18:00 |
Closing remarks
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| 19:00-21:00 |
Networking and Dinner – Pinacoteca Agnelli (Lingotto Congress Centre Rooftop)
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4 November | |
| 9:00 – 11:00 |
REE Closed Working Group (SIGN Members) (Invite Only)
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Agenda may be subject to change.
Registration
This event is sold out. Thank you for the strong interest in the Rare Earth and Magnets SIGN 2026 Expert Forum. Registration is now closed.
