IP Spotlight - December 2025

Map: Geographic distribution of patent filings in critical minerals technologies.

Despite increased investment in critical minerals, Australia’s global share of related IP has not grown in recent years. In contrast, Chinese entities continue to lead in securing IP rights in this area, as in other strategically sensitive technologies.

SUSTAINABILITY AS A COMPETITIVE DRIVER

Licensing has become a major driver in bringing critical minerals innovations to market. Instead of going it alone, companies are licensing their extraction or processing technologies or entering joint development deals. This approach can accelerate scale-up, save capital, and provide access to wider distribution channels or manufacturing capacity. Companies are using patents strategically to protect technologies in high-demand areas, like electrochemical lithium extraction or rare earth separation. Licensing these IP portfolios can become a key revenue stream and competitive differentiator, especially for startups or research spin-offs. Smaller or mid-tier miners can also reduce capital risk by opting to license proven IP instead of developing expensive processes in house. THE RISE OF LICENSING AND STRATEGIC IP DEPLOYMENT

Critical minerals extraction and processing can cause significant environmental impacts, including land degradation, water stress, and hazardous waste generation. Recycling rates for key minerals remain below 1% because they are embedded in complex products and current recovery methods are expensive and inefficient. The lack of effective recycling and reuse systems means supply depends almost entirely on new extraction, increasing pressure on ecosystems and raising long-term sustainability concerns. Encouragingly, more innovators are now patenting technologies that reduce environmental impact, including:

innovative extraction methods energy-efficient recycling processes cleaner mineral processing systems

8 | wrays.com.au