Inqui r y I s sue
2
| 2014
9
REACHING OUT TO INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS
CMI’s hosting of the fourth annual EU-US-Japan
Trilateral working group meeting on Critical Materials added
an international dimension to the first year gathering, one
that will continue to grow according to King.
The hub hosted delegates from the European Union,
Japan and other countries in collaborative sessions covering
topics in the rare-earth industry, source discovery, new
materials research and deployment, and processing and
recycling technologies.
King said this trilateral meeting started out four years
ago as a venue to talk about policy and general approaches,
and has moved on to planning scientific collaborations. As
international concern grows over the demand for rare-earth
and other critical materials, King expects CMI to play a vital
role as a source of scientific expertise.
“We are by far the largest investment the U.S. government
has made in this area,” said King. “Other players in the group
recognize that and while they look to Washington for matters
of policy, more and more we’re becoming the technical point
of contact.”
King believes CMI is well-positioned for that role in the
coming year and beyond, and the first-anniversary meeting, a
planning and working event rather than a celebration, helped
frame that future.
“Themeeting itself was a success, and theAmes Laboratory
made a tremendous impression on our visitors. Looking over
CMI’s first year broadly, we’ve achieved a fantastic amount in
a pretty short time.”
Above:
Ames Lab researcher Matt Besser, right, explains the
CMI’s 3D metal printer to Japanese visitors.
Below:
CMI
Director Alex King addresses scientists at the plenary session of
the Critical Material Institute’s annual meeting in September.
