Innovate UK CLIMATES Showcase - APPG Critical Minerals Event

On 23rd April, Innovate UK, sponsored by the APPG for Critical Minerals, hosted an event at the Terrace Pavilion at the Houses of Parliament to showcase the work of projects funded under the Circular Critical Minerals Supply Chain Program (CLIMATES) programme. 

Members of the CMA (UK) team at the CLIMATES Showcase. Jeff Townsend, Eileen Maes, Elliott Trickey, and Enzo Granzella (left to right). 

The Department for Business and Trade launched the CLIMATES programme to ‘support the UK’s Critical Mineral Strategy’ by developing resilient supply chains, identifying an initial strategic focus on REEs. Used in various applications including electronics, defense, and permanent magnets for renewable energy sources, REEs are essential to the transition to a low-carbon economy.

With £15 million in funding provided under Innovate UK’s CLIMATES programme, numerous UK-based projects have successfully scaled their technologies and advanced operational capacity. This government support has catalysed over £200 million in indicative private investment, underscoring the de-risking power of public funding in early-stage innovation.  

Programmes such as CLIMATES play a vital role in anchoring high-value R&D within the UK, helping to prevent strategic technologies from relocating overseas or being bought out by foreign companies. They are essential to building responsible and resilient critical minerals supply chains that align with the UK’s wider industrial strategy and green transition goals. 

13 organisations from the CLIMATES programme attended the event to showcase their work and engage with policymakers and other stakeholders in the critical minerals sector.  The proceedings commenced with speeches from the Officers of the Critical Minerals APPG: Noah Law MP, Perran Moon MP, and Baroness Northover. Noah and Perran expressed their continued support for the sector and stressed the importance of government backing innovation to drive sustainable growth.

Baroness Northover, speaking in her capacity as a member of the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, underscored the geopolitical urgency of securing critical mineral supply chains and ensuring the UK remains competitive in an increasingly polarised international landscape. 

Perran Moon MP (Officer of the APPG for Critical Minerals), Noah Law MP (Chair of the APPG) and Baroness Lindsay Northover (Co-Chair of the APPG). 

Mike Biddle, Executive Director for Net Zero at Innovate UK, spoke of how proud Innovate UK is to support initiatives like CLIMATES, describing them as essential to delivering Net Zero and advancing the circular economy. He emphasised the importance of collaboration between government and industry to accelerate technological progress and industrial resilience. 

Grace Humphries, Head of Critical Minerals & Mining at the Department for Business and Trade, praised the ongoing dialogue between government and industry, and highlighted how innovative companies such as those in the CLIMATES programme are central to shaping the UK’s upcoming Critical Minerals and Industrial Strategies.

A diverse range of companies attended the CLIMATES showcase, reflecting the strength and breadth of the UK’s innovation ecosystem in critical minerals. Among them was HyProMag Ltd, which has commercialised a highly energy efficient, patented Hydrogen Processing of Magnet Scrap (HPMS) technology to extract and demagnetise rare earth alloy powders from magnets embedded in scrap and redundant equipment. Camborne School of Mines, a world-leading centre for mining and geosciences based at the University of Exeter, also brought their academic expertise in responsible resource extraction.  

Grace Humphries (Head of Critical Minerals & Mining, Department for Business and Trade), Mike Biddle (Executive Director for Net Zero, Innovate UK) and Martyn Cherrington (Programme lead for CLIMATES, Innovate UK).  

Sustainability consultancy Minviro contributed its specialist knowledge in life cycle assessments for raw materials, helping industry to better understand their products’ supply chains and reduce overall environmental impact. The University of Lincoln was also represented, highlighting its growing role in industrial decarbonisation research and critical minerals innovation. Their presence underscored the collaborative effort between academia, industry, and government to drive forward the UK’s critical minerals strategy.  

Georgia Rigoni and Mark Thompson (Less Common Metals).  

Less Common Metals (LCM), based in Ellesmere Port, specialises in the production of bespoke alloys, the refinement of valuable raw materials, and the manufacture of high-performance products tailored to customer needs. With over 30 years of experience in REEs, LCM possesses the technical expertise to advance complex processes and drive innovative developments that address critical customer requirements.  

Thomas Kelly (Ionic Technologies). 

Another notable exhibitor was Ionic Technologies, a leader in permanent magnet recycling, using a patented process to recover magnet REEs. Their breakthrough enables the production of the world’s first sustainable magnets, offering a scalable solution for countries seeking to establish supply chains that are resilient to geopolitical risk. Also in attendance was EMR, Ascension Global, Mormair, Watercycle Technologies, Nanomox Ltd, GSA Environmental and Geolithical. 

CLIMATES demonstrates how continued government support for innovation — particularly in high-impact, high-risk areas like critical minerals — is not just desirable but imperative. It accelerates commercialisation, strengthens industrial competitiveness, and ensures that the UK remains a global leader in responsible and resilient supply chains. CLIMATES is a clear example of how targeted public investment can unlock broader value and systemic impact, aligning with the UK Critical Minerals Strategy's commitment to strengthening domestic capabilities and reducing dependency on volatile markets. 

As Secretariat to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Critical Minerals, the Critical Minerals Association (UK) was proud to organise and participate in this milestone event. The event brought together policymakers, innovators, investors and support services, reflecting a growing multi-stakeholder collaboration and consensus around the importance of critical minerals to the UK’s economic and strategic future. Among the key takeaways shared during the event was the scale of private investment already unlocked by CLIMATES projects — offering a compelling case for sustained public-private partnership in this critical space. 

Written by Elliott Trickey, Political Analyst, CMA (UK), and Eileen Maes, Communications Manager, CMA (UK)