Highlights

• AT&M is investing RMB500,000 in the Hefei Steel Research Rare Earth Permanent Magnet Materials Institute to expand R&D and pilot production capacity.
• The investment aims to consolidate China's technological leadership in rare earth permanent magnets, which are critical for EVs, wind turbines, and defense systems.
• With over 90% of the world's sintered NdFeB magnets produced in China, this strategic investment reinforces Beijing's control of the rare earth value chain.

Advanced Technology & Materials Co., Ltd (opens in a new tab). (AT&M), a major Chinese rare earth enterprise, is boosting its stake in the Hefei Steel Research Rare Earth Permanent Magnet Materials Institute, investing RMB500,000 (USD69,546) as part of a broader RMB3 million capital increase. The initiative, undertaken jointly with the Central Iron & Steel Research Institute (which will hold a 50% stake), aims to expand Hefei’s R&D and pilot production capacity, raising its registered capital from RMB2 million to RMB5 million (USD695,460).

Reported in Asian Metal (opens in a new tab), while not large sums of money, the deal does appear more focused on research and development and innovation, a part of the Chinese rare earth complex, Rare Earth Exchanges (REEx) monitors carefully.

Hefei Steel Research leads China’s National Key Laboratory for Rare Earth Permanent Magnet Materials and plays a critical role in developing, testing, and commercializing next-generation magnet technologies.

This move signals China's ongoing strategy to consolidate its technological leadership in rare earth permanent magnets—core components in electric vehicles (EVs), wind turbines, drones, and defense systems—at a time when the U.S.-China trade war continues to escalate and Western nations scramble to decouple from Beijing’s supply chain grip.

REEx views this as yet another example, in the aggregate, as the proactive reinforcement of China’s magnet monopoly. While the dollar amount may appear modest, the institutional control and R&D concentration are strategically significant. With over 90% of the world’s sintered NdFeB magnets still produced in China, investments like these strengthen Beijing’s chokehold on the rare earth value chain.

Company Profile

Advanced Technology & Materials Co., Ltd. (AT&M) is a leading Chinese high-tech materials enterprise founded in December 1998 by the China Iron & Steel Research Institute Group (CISRI) and publicly listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (Stock Code: 000969) since May 2000. Headquartered in Beijing’s Zhongguancun Science Park (opens in a new tab), AT&M specializes in advanced functional materials, special powder metallurgical products, high-quality special steel, welding materials, and environmental technology services. With a registered capital of ¥863 million, the company serves strategic sectors including aerospace, energy, transportation, and environmental protection.

Over two decades, AT&M has built a robust portfolio through mergers and joint ventures—most notably with Northern Rare Earth (opens in a new tab) and Magco Technology (opens in a new tab)—strengthening its role in China’s rare earth and advanced materials ecosystem. Recognized by national science agencies and ranked among the top 100 enterprises in Zhongguancun, AT&M combines innovation-driven R&D with a vertically integrated industry base to deliver cutting-edge materials solutions to global high-end markets