Securing Critical Raw Materials (CRM) and Rare Earth Elements (REE) for UK Defence – Industry Outbrief

(Date and Agenda subject to change)

Format: Online only via MS Teams

Context:  Establishing a UK-based recovery and reclamation capability for rare earth metals and minerals offers significant economic, environmental, and strategic benefits.

Aims & Objectives: Out-brief: This Quick Look Task examines how the Defence sector can mitigate CRM supply chain risks by harvesting rare earth elements from end-of-life platforms and establishing sovereign UK recovery capabilities.

The objective is to develop a decision-making framework applicable across capabilities, platforms, sub-systems, and components to:

• Provide a demand signal to industry and guide investment decisions in UK recovery and reclamation infrastructure.
• Inform the development of autonomous recovery technologies.
• Influence design and supportability analysis to incorporate metal and mineral reclamation.

Who should be attending: Leaders in sustainability and circularity, requirement setters, design engineers, supportability analysts, specialist recycling companies.

Agenda

1. Welcome to site and admin (Jenny – Mott Mac)
2. Intro and Agenda (Michelle- BAESystems)
3. Defence Circular Economics Context (Sarah – Defence Support)
4. Task Aims and Objectives (Michael – Babcock)
5. Framework Assessing CRM/REE Risk and harvesting opportunity (Emily – BAE Systems)
6. Framework Sovereign CRM/REE reclamation capability and priority areas for investment (Fred- DESCycle)
7. Conclusions and Recommendations (Georgie – Babcock)
8. Panel Q&A (Chaired by Michelle BAESystems)
9. Close (Sarah – Def Support)

Supporting Documentation (Presentation Material etc.):  Presentation material will be shared post event, finalised report will be circulated in early April,  Circular Economic Concept Note on .gov.uk now