From 27 to 31 July 2025, the 28th International Workshop on Rare-Earth and Future Permanent Magnets (REPM 2025) took place in Tsukuba, Japan, bringing together leading scientists, engineers, and industry experts from around the world.

The event, renowned for its focus on the latest advances in rare-earth and future permanent magnet technologies, provided a valuable forum for discussing the challenges and opportunities in this rapidly evolving field.

The CoCoMag consortium was well represented, contributing to key discussions on sustainability, materials innovation, and the reduction of critical raw material dependency:

Prof. Oliver Gutfleisch (Technische Universität Darmstadt, CoCoMag Coordinator), opened the conference with a plenary lecture titled “A critical review of permanent magnet materials: options for reduction, substitution and recycling of strategic elements.”

Prof. Thomas Schrefl (Universität für Weiterbildung Krems) delivered a plenary talk on “Artificial Intelligence Assisted Optimization of Permanent Magnets,” highlighting the role of AI in accelerating material design and performance optimization.

Dr. Semih Ener (Technische Universität Darmstadt) presented his research on rare-earth-free permanent magnets, showcasing innovative approaches to develop high-performance and sustainable alternatives.

The participation of the CoCoMag partners at REPM 2025 once again emphasized the project’s commitment to reducing reliance on rare-earth elements, and advancing next-generation magnetic materials that support Europe’s transition towards more sustainable technologies.