Dear all,

The focus on securing critical materials supplies is gaining further momentum this month: the EU released an insightful report on critical raw materials (EU) while the UK published a critical minerals study for their country (Mining.com). China weighs export ban for rare earth magnet technology (Nikkei Asia). And some interesting projects such as using coal ash and other mine wastes as potential viable source of rare earth elements in South Africa (Mining Weekly) or mining lithium in Canada abandoned oil fields for tomorrow's EVs (Bloomberg).

Further on the scientific front with a new oxygen ion battery chemistry at TU Wien, a novel copper-aluminium-zinc alloy for refrigeration at Tokyo University of Science, a magnetic quantum material for ultra fast and energy efficient computers at University of Technology Chalmers, a viable formula for carbon negative concrete at Washington State University. And finally the release of the Australian Government long term vision for quantum technologies.

Regarding sustainability initiatives, we selected 5 initiatives: underground water as a possible solution to green heating and cooling at Berkeley Lab, a mix of better policies, smarter recycling and new materials for virtuous plastics economy in Nature, solar-to-hydrogen power plants reaching kilowatt scale at EPFL, solar oven for lower cost bread in Lebanon as well as the $400 Million Grant to Fund Clean School Buses in the USA.

Also 11 of our Start Up alumni were in the news this month: a partnership for healable smartfoil (CompPair – Switzerland with Zesst), a significant funding round (Woodoo – France), a sizeable scale-up (Vartega - USA), a new CEO (Nawa - France) and many great press articles as usual (Bcomp – Switzerland, BeFC – France, C12 Quantum - France, Carbios – France, CompPair – Switzerland, EIFHYTEC - France, Fluence Analytics – USA, Graphene Manufacturing Group – Australia, NAWA Technologies – France, Zeta Energy – USA).

As always, we hope that you enjoy the reading.

The WMF Editorial Team,
Victoire de Margerie, Nadja Leclere and Valentin Desbuis

EU, March 2023:
EU Study on Critical Raw Materials

Mining Weekly, April 5th:
Using coal ash and other mine wastes as potential viable source of rare earth elements

Nikkei Asia, April 6th:
China weighs export ban for rare earth magnet technology

Mining.com, April 17th:
UK study on critical minerals

Bloomberg, April 20th:
Mining lithium in abandoned oil fields for tomorrow's EVs

IEEE Spectrum, April 7th:
New Oxygen Ion battery chemistry at TU Wien

University of Technology Chalmers, April 13th:
Magnetic quantum material at room temperature for ultra-fast and energy efficient computers

Washington State University, April 18th:
Viable formula for carbon negative concrete

Tokyo University of Science, April 20th:
Novel copper-aluminium-zinc shape memory alloys for energy efficient refrigeration

Australian Government, May 3rd:
A long term vision for sizing the opportunity of quantum technologies

Berkeley Lab, April 5th:
Underground water could be the solution to green heating and cooling

Nature, April 11th:
Better policies, smarter recycling and new materials for virtuous plastics economy.

EPFL, April 17th:
Solar-to-hydrogen power plant reaches kilowatt scale

Euronews.green, April 23rd:
Solar oven for lower cost bread in Lebanon

United States Environmental Agency, April 24th:
$400 Million Grant to Fund Clean School Buses

Bcomp (N 2018), April 24th:
Unveiling the flax fibre-based bodywork for Japan’s Super Formula race series at JEC World 2023

BEFC (N 2022), March 24th:
New eco-friendly biopile technology

C12 QUANTUM ELECTRONICS (N 2021), April1st:
Quantum Computing and the Need for Private Investment in France

CARBIOS (N 2017 - Grand Prix Scale Up 2021), April 18th: Carbios Accelerates Its Enzyme Optimization With Screening Capabilities for Millions of Enzymes in a Day

CARBIOS (N 2017 - Grand Prix Scale Up 2021), April 3rd: Licensing Documentation Ready for Worldwide Industrial and Commercial Deployment of Its PET Biorecycling Technology

COMPPAIR (N 2020), April 20th:
CompPair and ZESST collaborate to manufacture a healable smart hydrofoil

COMPPAIR (N 2020), April 20th:
CompPair expands its HealTech™ Standard product family with launch of swift prepreg line

EIFHYTEC (N 2022), April 20th:
Eifhytec CEO at the forefront of hydrogen on BFM Business

FLUENCE ANALYTICS (N 2019), March 27th:
One of Tulane’s most successful spinouts

GRAPHENEMG (N2020), April 11th:
Commercialisation Progress of THERMAL-XR(R)

NAWATechnologies (N 2019), April 25th:
Appointment of Antoine Saucier as new CEO

NAWATechnologies (N 2019), April 24th:
Nano-based ultra-strong, multifunctional advanced composite technology at jec world

VARTEGA (N 2020), April 10th:
Vartega opens new 50,000 square foot space

WOODOO (N 2017), April 24th:
Woodoo raises $31 million

ZETA ENERGY (SPECIAL AWARD CRITICAL MATERIALS 2020, Coup de Coeur Scale Up 2022), April 17th:
Use of Unrefined Sulfur demonstrated with No Performance Loss

worldmaterialsforum.com