How to widen access to the critical minerals that the world needs

In April 2025, China restricted exports of seven rare-earth elements, prompting Western countries to react by boosting mineral extraction and refining efforts. The European Union and the United States accelerated permits and subsidies, while the Minerals Security Partnership expanded its network. However, the real issue lies in intellectual property, which controls the transformation of raw materials into usable products. Key patents are held by a few companies across different countries, creating a bottleneck that geographical diversification cannot solve. Without access to these patents, countries like Australia and Indonesia cannot fully utilize their resources. This highlights a flaw in current strategies, which focus on parts of the supply chain not protected by intellectual property, resulting in refineries that can’t produce finished goods. QUESTION: How might the focus on intellectual property in the critical minerals supply chain impact future technological advancements?