Part 7/20:
Technological innovation was central to Japan’s strategy. Companies like Nex Core developed advanced refining methods that mitigated the need for rare earth magnets in high-performance motors by preventing overheating. Similarly, corporations like Proterial, Denso, Daido Steel, and Toshiba innovated magnets based on iron oxide, iron and nickel, or samarium-iron isotropic bonded magnets—all designed to minimize or eliminate dependence on Chinese rare earths. However, these technological advancements faced a major hurdle: high costs. The market found it challenging to adopt these alternatives due to economic viability constraints.