Research on Rare Earth Replacement Technology... Hyundai Motor Partners with 7 Universities

Joint Research to Strengthen Core 'Magnetic Materials' for Electrification

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia are launching joint research with major domestic universities to secure competitiveness in magnetic materials and related technologies, which are core components of electrification.

On the 21st, Hyundai Motor Company and Kia announced the establishment of the "Hyundai Motor Group Magnetic Materials Joint Research Laboratory" at Yonsei University in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. As the demand for rare earth elements used in key components of electric vehicle (EV) motors increases, but some countries are tightening export and import regulations due to environmental pollution issues, the aim is to secure technologies that can replace and recycle these materials.

Accordingly, Hyundai Motor Company and Kia will operate the joint research laboratory for a total of three years in collaboration with seven universities ? Yonsei University, Seoul National University, Sungkyunkwan University, Pusan National University, Pukyong National University, Chungnam National University, and Chungbuk National University ? as well as Hyundai Eng.Vi, a specialized industry-academia cooperation institution.

The joint research laboratory will undertake projects such as research on non-rare earth magnetic materials, rare earth recycling research to recover and reuse rare earths at the motor unit level, and magnetic property evaluation research to advance the measurement of magnetic properties of materials. Researchers from Hyundai Motor Company and Kia’s Basic Materials Research Center will also participate in each project.

Hyunsoo Son, head of the Energy Materials Research Lab at Hyundai Motor Company and Kia, said, "This is the first joint research laboratory established by Hyundai Motor Company and Kia in the field of magnetic materials. We will actively collaborate on this project to accelerate the internalization of magnetic materials technology, which is a core component of electrification."

Wooyoung Lee, the lead professor of the joint research laboratory at Yonsei University, stated, "The joint research laboratory will serve as a solid foundation for domestic technology to lead the world in the field of motor magnetic materials technology, which is a core element of mobility."

At the 'Hyundai Motor Group Magnetic Materials Joint Research Lab' plaque presentation ceremony held at Yonsei University in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, Hyunsoo Son, Head of Energy Materials Research Lab at Hyundai Motor and Kia, and Wooyoung Lee, Principal Investigator of the Joint Research Lab at Yonsei University, are posing for a commemorative photo. (Photo by Hyundai Motor)