A message from the Executive Director

Welcome to the Rare Earth Industry and Technology Association (REITA) website. We trust your visit will be informative whether you are a casual visitor or interested stakeholder.

While we may disagree on the means, most of us support the universal objectives of green energy, energy independence and homeland security. Few of us understand that a key limiting factor on whether we accomplish these goals or not is how quickly we develop critical rare earth technologies that can be commercialized

Whether it’s the yttrium phosphors in Compact Fluorescent Lamps, the neodymium magnet motors that enable the electric traction drives in Hybrid Electric Vehicles and wind power generators or the numerous rare earth technologies that are indispensable for virtually every sophisticated weapons and communication systems of the military – the United States and developed countries in Europe and East Asia have virtually relinquished the capability to develop and commercialize these technologies.

After decades of reengineering, corporate rationalizations, and the “offshoring” of manufacturing and innovation, the US is devoid of entire supply chains for some vital rare earth technologies. Analogous conditions exist in the EU, Japan and other developed countries in East Asia. Compounding the problem, existing “off shored” supply chains are totally dependent on China for rare earth raw materials. With China forecasted, in as little as two to three years, to be unable to meet the 10 -15 % annual growth in global demand for certain rare earth products – global industry vulnerability is clearly evident.

While this vulnerability is becoming well recognized among global industry and government leaders, individual companies or institutions alone cannot fill these supply chain vulnerability gaps – it will take a consortium of like-minded domestic and international organizations to band together to do so. REITA has been formed to take on this challenge. REITA is the facilitating entity that will pool the necessary capabilities of its members to expedite the development of rare earth technologies while helping mitigate the commercial and technical risk of such initiatives. While REITA will not play a direct role in creating the requisite supply chains upon which these new technologies will be based, by facilitating technology development and mitigating the risk, its industry members will be in a compelling position to do so.

We hope you will consider joining REITA and support our mission. Please feel free to contact me regarding membership or any other questions you may have.

Yours truly,

Keith A. Delaney
Executive Director
Rare Earth Industry and Technology Association

*. Offshoring Technology Innovation A Case Study of Rare Earth Technology (posted with permission of the publisher)