Weekly News Review February 16 – February 22 2026

With China celebrating the Lunar New Year, industrial activity in the country is taking a breather, and with it, lots of the critical minerals markets. As a result, Western nations have taken center stage this week, advancing new strategic partnerships and cooperation initiatives.

All the news from our editorial team @rawmaterials.net

INDIA AND FRANCE TO COOPERATE ON RARE EARTHS:

The subcontinent holds largely untapped reserves of critical raw materials, while the European country is expanding its downstream industry.

India and France intend to strengthen their bilateral cooperation. This was announced in a joint statement by the two heads of government, Emmanuel Macron and Narendra Modi. Strategic areas in which collaboration will be intensified include energy, space, artificial intelligence, and defense, as well as the critical minerals required for these technologies—particularly rare earth elements. Both countries aim to coordinate efforts in the exploration, extraction, processing, and recycling of these resources to diversify and strengthen supply chains.

As with many other nations, this initiative is driven by the objective of reducing import dependence—above all on raw materials giant China—amid rising geopolitical tensions. Both India and France have already entered into new partnerships to that end. Their most recent bilateral declaration of intent is also likely to benefit from the recently concluded free trade agreement between India and the European Union.

India Seeks to Better Utilize Its Rare Earth Deposits:

The resource-rich subcontinent is already a major producer of raw materials such as coal, iron ore, and chromite, as well as manganese and baryte, which the European Union classifies as critical to its economy. In the case of rare earths, India possesses considerable reserves, but these have so far been exploited only to a limited extent. Processing capacities are even more constrained.

The Indian government plans to expand this infrastructure, also in order to better supply the country’s rapidly growing high-tech sector. Measures already initiated include tariff exemptions on raw materials and subsidies for downstream production segments, such as the magnet industry.

France Could Become a European Hub for the Rare Earth Industry:

France, by contrast, is already a significant player in the rare earth sector. On the Atlantic coast, Solvay operates one of the few rare earth refineries outside China. Given the strategic importance of rare earths, the company intends to substantially expand its capacity.

Another rare earth recycling and refining facility is currently under construction in Lacq, southwestern France. There, the French company Caremag is building a production plant with support from the French and Japanese governments. At the same site, Less Common Metals, formerly British and now part of the U.S. rare-earth group USA Rare Earth, is constructing a factory for rare-earth metals and alloys. Once completed, this facility, too, would be among the few of its kind outside China.

ENERGY SECURITY AS A DRIVER OF INNOVATION: NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND CRITICAL RAW MINERALS IN FOCUS –

Patents from the energy sector now outnumber those from chemistry, pharmaceuticals, or transport, according to a new report by the International Energy Agency.

The energy industry is increasingly emerging as a powerhouse of innovation and as a multi-trillion-dollar market. Around ten percent of all global patents now originate from the sector, surpassing those from chemistry, pharmaceuticals, and transport. This is the key finding of the new report, “The State of Energy Innovation 2026,” by the International Energy Agency, which analyzes the global energy innovation landscape.

According to the report, significant technological breakthroughs were achieved last year, including advances in perovskite solar cells, sodium-ion batteries, next-generation geothermal systems, and fusion energy. The IEA identifies energy security as the primary driver behind these innovations—ranking it ahead of cost efficiency or emissions reduction. This underscores the growing emphasis on strengthening domestic technological capabilities and securing critical supply chains.

In 2023, batteries accounted for 40 percent of all energy-related patents, and the share is expected to have increased further in 2024 and 2025, according to the IEA. China leads in lithium-ion battery patents, followed by South Korea and Japan. In solar cell material innovation, more than 70 percent of patents now focus on perovskite technologies, with the same three countries dominating this field.

Public Funding Can Lay the Foundation for New Technologies:

The report also highlights the crucial role of public funding. In previous decades, government support helped establish the technological foundations for today’s established solutions, such as floating LNG and lithium-ion batteries. According to the IEA, the economic returns of public investments in research and development typically far exceed their costs—through fuel savings, lower equipment prices, and broader economic spillovers.

Meanwhile, gaps between public, institutional, and corporate financing can be bridged by venture capital. Private risk capital is increasingly flowing into start-ups developing high-growth, innovative technologies. The IEA observes a shift in investment priorities: whereas electromobility dominated until 2021, the focus has now shifted toward carbon capture, nuclear and fusion energy, and critical minerals, essential raw materials underpinning many of the technologies mentioned above.

US AND UZBEKISTAN TO STRENGTHEN INVESTMENT TIES: RARE EARTHS AT THE CENTER OF A NEW AGREEMENT:

The United States and Uzbekistan are set to deepen their cooperation. On Wednesday, a framework agreement was concluded in Washington, D.C., to support joint investments in energy, infrastructure, and critical minerals. With regard to the latter, the entire value chain, from extraction to processing, will be in focus, according to a press release issued by the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).

Uzbekistan is already a significant producer of critical raw materials, including rhenium, uranium, tellurium, and indium, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The agency also identifies substantial potential for tungsten resources. Closer cooperation in the raw materials sector had already been agreed upon in 2024. The United States is likewise seeking stronger engagement with other Central Asian states, where mining is prominently featured on their strategic agendas.

China and Russia currently rank among the most important trading partners of the Central Asian countries, though their relative importance varies by country’s trade structure and economic orientation.

UNITED STATES: HOW CELLULOSE IN PLANTS COULD HELP EXTRACT RARE EARTH ELEMENTS:

Researchers in the United States have developed a novel separation process capable of selectively separating different members of the rare-earth element group.

Rare earth elements (REEs) are critical raw materials for numerous advanced technologies. However, their availability is limited because production is highly concentrated in a few regions. As a result, new extraction and recovery methods are being developed worldwide. These include approaches using algae, genetically engineered viruses, and unconventional sources such as discarded energy-saving lamps. Beyond reducing import dependency, these innovations aim to improve environmental sustainability, as conventional extraction methods are energy-intensive and often rely on hazardous chemicals.

A major technical challenge in developing new production technologies is distinguishing between so-called light and heavy rare-earth elements, which exhibit distinct chemical properties. Separating individual elements within this group is particularly complex. At the Pennsylvania State University, researchers have now developed a technology that leverages cellulose, an essential structural component of plant cell walls. Using cellulose-based compounds, the research team successfully extracted neodymium, a light rare-earth element, in initial trials.

Targeted Extraction Method for Dysprosium:

The method was subsequently refined to enable the selective separation of dysprosium, a heavy rare-earth element. Dysprosium is an essential component in high-performance permanent magnets and nuclear fuel rods. Demand for this element is expected to rise significantly in the coming years, while its production remains largely concentrated in China.

To achieve selective binding, the researchers modified the molecular structure of cellulose, creating a nanoscale crystalline material approximately 100 nanometers in size—about 1,000 times thinner than a human hair. The nanocellulose particles are coated at both ends with hair-like cellulose chains known as anionic hairy cellulose nanocrystals (AHCNC).

The material was then introduced into an aqueous solution containing dissolved neodymium and dysprosium ions to test whether selective adsorption could be achieved. Adsorption is a surface-driven process in which ions from a liquid phase adhere to a solid interface. According to the researchers, the AHCNC exhibited unique behavior: the chemically modified chains within the “hairs” contracted significantly in the presence of dysprosium, indicating specific molecular sensitivity and a preferential interaction with this heavy rare earth element.

According to the study’s lead author, Amir Sheikhi, this represents the first known cellulose-based adsorption material capable of selectively separating heavy rare-earth elements from light rare-earth elements.

The research team now aims to further develop the approach for practical implementation in industrial and laboratory settings in the United States. Future work will focus on scaling the technology and extending it to isolate additional rare earth elements and other critical minerals.