March 2026
The Australian Critical Minerals R&D Hub has released the 2026 Progress Report, showcasing the outcomes, impact and momentum built across Australia’s critical minerals value chain.
In just three years, the Hub has moved from concept to a coordinated national platform for critical minerals research and development. The new Progress Report highlights major achievements across four national workstreams, including:
The report demonstrates how national coordination, targeted investment and world‑class science are positioning Australia as a trusted supplier of ethically sourced, high‑performance critical minerals and materials.
The Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR) Critical Minerals Office (CMO) visited CSIRO's Clayton facilities for a day of strategic planning discussions with the Hub and a behind‑the‑scenes laboratory tour, including a close look at CSIRO's innovative metallisation technologies for lithium, rare earths and other metals, a key feature of the Producing High-Tech Metals and Materials project.
The visit offered an opportunity to deepen collaboration on Australia's emerging critical minerals capability, with researchers showcasing how our novel technologies are accelerating progress toward low‑emissions, next‑generation metal production.
The group also met researchers and explored how CSIRO's broader critical minerals research pipeline is supporting national objectives across processing, mid‑stream capability and sovereign supply chain development.
The visit strengthened cross‑agency connections and highlighted the importance of continued partnership between government and science to deliver a competitive, resilient critical minerals future for Australia.
The Hub strengthened its European partnerships through a series of high‑impact engagements across Belgium and France.
The Hub showcased Australian innovation at the European Research and Innovation Showcase, where representatives from ANSTO, Geoscience Australia and CSIRO represented the Department for Industry, Science and Resources (DISR) to deliver lightning talks demonstrating Australia’s strengths across the critical minerals value chain. The showcase emphasised the importance of international collaboration in building competitive, resilient and sustainable supply chains.
During the Brussels program, the delegation also met with General (Rtd) Angus Campbell AO, Australia's Ambassador to Belgium, the EU, NATO and Luxembourg, for a constructive exchange on strategic research priorities and the vital role of critical minerals in secure, clean‑energy supply chains.
A key highlight was the visit to KU Leuven’s Institute for Sustainable Metals and Minerals, where Hub representatives explored cutting‑edge solvometallurgical advances under the SOLVOMET program, opening promising avenues for collaboration on cleaner, more efficient recovery of critical minerals.
The Hub also met with experts from France’s Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM), discussing mineral potential mapping, machine‑learning solutions to geoscience data challenges, and touring BRGM’s Plat’INN pilot‑plant facilities for mineral concentrate processing and waste remediation. These technical exchanges revealed strong alignment and future collaboration opportunities between BRGM, Geoscience Australia and ANSTO.
Industry engagement continued with a productive visit to Nyrstar’s Auby smelter in France, where the Hub deepened collaboration on by‑product recovery, refining innovation and resilient supply‑chain development. The discussions built on ongoing work with Nyrstar’s Australian smelters to extract more critical mineral by‑products from zinc resources, demonstrating strong alignment with European processing partners.
Collectively, these engagements highlight Australia’s growing influence in Europe’s critical minerals ecosystem, strengthening scientific ties, enhancing diplomacy, and expanding opportunities for collaborative innovation.