The hub

The Hub delivers against its mission under four main work streams:

• Scaling-up and commercialising critical minerals research and development: by undertaking priority projects and identifying research and development priorities, gaps, and technical obstacles in supply chains of strategic significance. The Hub will also leverage Australia’s resource potential to support onshore processing and create opportunities in downstream high value industries.
• Coordinating, guiding, and prioritising critical minerals research and development and expertise across Australia: by fostering closer cooperation and collaboration across the domestic and international research and development ecosystem, including government, industry, universities, and other research institutes. Closer collaboration will help to reduce duplication, establish priorities for research and development across the critical minerals sector, inform future policy and funding decisions and grow Australia’s domestic capabilities.
• Connecting critical minerals projects to technical and research experts: by building capability and tailoring activities to meet the needs of the sector. The Hub will help de-risk and commercialise projects by creating Australian intellectual property (IP) in critical minerals research and disseminating relevant scientific knowledge freely and openly as a public good and/or protecting and commercialising it to deliver impact.
• Supporting strategic international critical minerals collaboration: by advancing international research and development engagement and working with likeminded partners to support strategic supply chains.

There are seven Hub-funded research projects, including three announced in January 2024. See the research tab for information and resources on each of the projects.

Find out more about work the hub is doing to support international collaboration.