Rare Earth Value Chain: Executive summary
This document summarises the key outputs of five innovation landscape reports commissioned by Innovate UK, which investigated the rare earth elements (REEs) value chain.
Produced by: Innovate UK
Overview
The Circular Critical Materials Supply Chain (CLIMATES) programme worked on a series of groundbreaking reports, aimed at securing and innovating across the rare earth elements (REEs) value chain. The reports investigated across both primary (mining to magnet) and secondary (end of life to magnet) supply chains, with a focus on UK innovations and innovation opportunities.
This executive summary assesses current capabilities, identifies gaps, and outlines opportunities across the supply chain—from extraction and recycling to reuse and manufacturing—to reduce reliance on imports and support sustainable net-zero technologies.
Key takeaways
- The current state-of-the-art technologies in REE processing and recycling
- Key UK organisations driving technological development and a mapping of national capability
- Comparison of global and UK technologies and identification of collaboration opportunities
- Required innovations for the UK to have a competitive advantage in the REE and rare earth permanent magnet (REPM) supply chains
More details about this publication
Context
Rare earth elements are crucial for technologies such as electric vehicles, wind turbines, and digital devices. The initiative, supported by £15 million in public funding, seeks to bolster domestic capabilities, reduce reliance on imports, and promote sustainability through innovation.
There are six publications in this series – an executive summary and five innovation landscape reports. Each report identifies UK capabilities, global comparisons, and innovation opportunities.
Purpose
The reports highlight the strategic importance of REEs to the UK economy, emphasising their role in clean energy and digital technologies. Innovation is seen as key factor in the UK to building resilience and reducing dependency on monopolised global sources.
This is a high-level executive summary of the key outputs of each innovation landscape report.
What’s included
- Foreword
- Introduction
- Summary of REE value chain
- Five innovation landscape report summaries
Related reports in this series
- Rare Earth Circular Economy: Innovation landscape report
- Rare Earth Permanent Magnet Manufacturing: Innovation landscape report
- Rare Earth Processing: Innovation landscape report
- Rare Earth Permanent Magnet Alternatives: Innovation landscape report
- Rare Earth Exploration, Extraction, Beneficiation and Concentration: Innovation landscape report
Related programmes
Critical Materials Supply Chain Innovation Network
Connect with partners and access funding, collaboration and commercial opportunities that strengthen the UK’s critical materials supply chains.
Circular Critical Materials Supply Chains
The CLIMATES programme supports the development of resilient, UK-based supply chains for rare earth elements. It aims to strengthen collaboration across sectors and build robust, circular supply chains ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical materials.