Vulcan Elements' Chief Technology Officer Receives Competitively Awarded ARPA-E Contract to Develop Next-Generation Magnets

Vulcan to commercialize technology enabled by multi-year contract to expand the frontier of magnetic performance

DURHAM, N.C., Oct. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Vulcan Elements, an American rare earth magnet manufacturer, today announced that the company's Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Piotr Kulik, will lead a multi-year research effort competitively selected for funding by the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) to develop novel magnetic materials potentially more powerful than rare earth magnets. As the project progresses, Vulcan will explore opportunities to commercialize this new technology to deliver unprecedented magnetic performance. Dr. Kulik also serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Central Florida (UCF).

The three-year project will enable novel research on the discovery, modeling, synthesis, and validation of new high-performance magnetic materials. This research has the potential to pave the way for magnets that exceed the current limits on magnetic performance, while reducing requirements for rare earth inputs.

Dr. Kulik will lead the research effort in collaboration with scientists at UCF and the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), leveraging the laboratory's Frontier exascale supercomputer to accelerate the discovery and design of next-generation magnetic materials.

This unique capacity will leverage advanced computational modeling to explore non-rare earth inputs for magnets, with the goal of identifying materials capable of exceptional magnetic performance. As promising candidates are identified, Vulcan Elements will help develop pathways toward commercialization and manufacturing, drawing on its expertise in materials science, advanced manufacturing, and production scale-up.

"Through the combined efforts of government, industry, and academia, this research has the potential to drive a generational leap in magnetic materials development," said Dr. Kulik. "I look forward to continuing our collaboration with the world-class researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to advance discoveries that could transform our energy infrastructure, strengthen national security, and reinforce American technological leadership. At Vulcan, we believe the future of magnet manufacturing lies not simply in replicating existing technologies, but in developing fundamentally new materials and processes that move the industry forward. ARPA-E is helping make that vision possible."

Vulcan Elements CEO John Maslin added: "This partnership is a model for how the United States can bend the curve for the magnetics industry and the entire advanced economy. By leveraging the nation's most sophisticated research talent, most advanced computational capability, and fastest growing magnetics manufacturing infrastructure, Dr. Kulik, ARPA-E, and Vulcan will drive tectonic change for our supply chains for years to come."

ARPA-E is the Department of Energy's "disruption wing" whose mission is to enhance the economic and energy security and technological leadership of the United States through the development of advanced energy technologies. The organization has a demonstrated record of funding groundbreaking technologies since its establishment in 2009.

Vulcan has developed a proven solution to one of the country's most critical economic vulnerabilities, and to its knowledge is the world's only rare earth magnet company that is decoupled from China—down to the material, technology, software, IP, and ownership. Vulcan Elements' Benson, North Carolina, manufacturing facility currently under construction will be the cornerstone of a domestic rare earth magnet supply chain and the largest rare earth magnet factory outside of China. The 1.1 million square foot facility will have an annual capacity of 10,000 metric tons of magnet production and will supply magnets for critical defense systems, semiconductor fabrication, robotics, drones, AI infrastructure, automobiles, and other strategic technologies and sectors of the American economy. 

About Vulcan Elements
Vulcan Elements is an American rare earth magnet manufacturer driven by a core mission: to rebuild a secure, resilient rare earth magnet supply chain for America and its allies, and enable the technologies that will define the 21st century. Vulcan's world-class engineering, scientific rigor, and uncompromising work ethic are onshoring a fundamental capability to the United States and setting a new standard for advanced rare earth magnet production. The company partners across the public and private sectors to advance economic competitiveness, revitalize the industrial workforce, and strengthen national security.

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SOURCE Vulcan Elements