Ionic Technologies will further enhance and have a very strong chance of receiving substantial funding when Ford successfully demonstrates a fully functional EV using Ionic's recycled rare earth materials.
Here's why:
Strategic Alignment and Timing
The partnership with Ford and LCM concluding in June 2025 would perfectly coincide with:
The release of the UK Critical Minerals Strategy 2025, the development of the UK Industrial Strategy 2035 ("Invest 2035")Completion of the BGS magnet feedstock mapping study.
This timing creates a powerful convergence of policy, industry validation, and market readiness that significantly strengthens Ionic's funding case.
Ford's Strategic Importance, Fords Halewood facility represents a critical node in the UK's EV transition plus job creation and opportunities
Planning to produce 500,000 EV units annually by 2026 requires over 600 tonnes of magnet raw material per year a successful demonstration would provide undeniable proof of concept at industrial scale, calculations on previous posts of REOs to Magnet Alloys to Sintered Permanent Magnets
Government Support and Feedback
The company is already positioned favourably with UK authorities, Has received "positive feedback to date" from the Department of Business and Trade assessment team (ATF and APC) previous secured multiple UK government grants totalling approximately £5 million, and awaiting a decision on a "substantial capital grant" through the Automotive Transformation Fund.
A successful Ford EV demonstration would represent the completion of a fully circular UK rare earth supply chain, at Demonstration scale.
Extraction of rare earths from recycled magnets via Ionic Technologies conversion to metals and alloys by LCM manufacturing into magnets for Ford's EVs and Recycling of manufacturing waste back into the system.
This aligns perfectly with the UK's stated goals of reducing dependence on imported critical minerals, particularly from China, which controls 98% of heavy rare earth processing globally.
Conclusion
A successful Ford EV demonstration using Ionic's recycled materials would provide the compelling, real-world validation needed to secure significant funding. It would demonstrate not just technical feasibility (which Ionic has already shown at smaller scale), but commercial and strategic viability at industrial scale.The chances of receiving funding would be exceptionally high-likely exceeding, as such a demonstration would address all key criteria for government investment: sovereign supply chains, circular economy principles, industrial competitiveness, and clean energy transition, And we also have the VAC project going on as well to further enhance our product capabilities
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