Vulnerabilities of rare-earth magnet supply chain
A Dundee University led study highlights disruption vulnerabilities because of a variety of global risks.
Neodymium–iron–boron magnets are crucial for the energy transition, so their susceptibility to disruption, characterised by significant concentration in China, market volatility, technological challenges, and increasing environmental and social risks have led to this study.
This paper presents a conceptual framework that integrates four interrelated dimensions of NdFeB supply chains: geopolitics, geoeconomics, technology, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors.
The framework illustrates how their interdependencies create and exacerbate systemic vulnerabilities while also influencing pathways toward resilience.
The analysis identifies recurring mechanisms through which vulnerabilities expand across domains.
It suggests how geopolitical concentration influences geoeconomic volatility, how technological pathways are shaped by political and financial constraints, and how ESG challenges contribute to supply chain fragility.
It also examines emerging governance responses - from industrial policy and strategic alliances to recycling and substitution strategies, highlighting persistent trade-offs between security, sustainability and legitimacy.
By reframing the supply chains as a system-level phenomenon, within a single analytical framework, it provides a foundation for more integrated policy approaches to supply chain resilience in the energy transition.
