Ionic Rare Earths has led a UK–European collaboration with Less Common Metals, GKN and Ford UK to complete what it calls the Western world’s first end-to-end recycled rare earth supply chain for EV motor magnets, using “made-in-Belfast” long-loop recycling technology. Recycled neodymium, dysprosium and terbium oxides at >99.5% purity were converted by LCM into strip alloy, then into GKN magnets that passed Ford Dunton rotor durability tests with performance equivalent to production magnets. The Belfast commercial recycling plant will feed LCM alloy production for Ford’s UK EV facilities, directly supporting the UK Critical Minerals Strategy target of sourcing 20% of mineral needs from recycling by 2035.

Fox Group has acquired surfacing contractor DSD Construction and concrete producer Moore Readymix, in a Stellex Capital Management-backed deal aimed at building a circular economy-focused construction materials business. The move expands Fox’s footprint in asphalt surfacing and ready-mixed concrete supply, integrating upstream materials with contracting services. For civil and highways projects, the combined group signals tighter control of aggregates, asphalt and concrete logistics, with potential for increased use of recycled materials in pavements and structural concrete mixes.

Urenco has completed a UK trial to produce Europe’s first batch of LEU+ nuclear fuel, enriched above conventional low-enriched uranium yet still below the 20% U‑235 threshold, for use in existing gigawatt-scale reactors and planned small modular reactors. The higher assay fuel is designed to extend fuel cycle length compared with standard LEU, potentially reducing refuelling outages and spent fuel volumes per megawatt-hour. For civil and nuclear engineers, LEU+ could influence core design margins, outage scheduling, and long-term storage and transport requirements for higher-burnup fuel.