Translated with AI assistance
Starting September 21, Russian legal entities can submit applications to obtain the status of a participant in the Innovative Scientific and Technological Center of the Angara-Yenisei Cluster. It is possible to join the project even before the Center’s infrastructure in Krasnoyarsk is commissioned, as an extraterritorial regime is provided for participants. This status grants tax benefits and other preferences stipulated by law, as well as access to the expertise of Siberian Federal University, D. Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia, and other partners.
The cluster itself is being created as an attempt to bring together within a single framework the complete cycle of working with critical and rare earth metals – from raw materials and extraction technologies to new materials, components, and finished high-tech products. In other words, the goal is not simply to mine rare metals, but to process them domestically and manufacture high value-added products based on them.
The scale of the gap is clearly visible in the figures. According to Rosnedra, Russia ranks second in the world in rare earth metal reserves – 28.7 million tons – but accounts for less than 1% of global production. There are virtually no facilities for the separation and deep processing of such metals, which is why about 90% of domestic demand is met through imports.
The Angara-Yenisei cluster is designed to link together the currently fragmented elements of a single production chain: mineral deposits, processing facilities, research and development, pilot production, and finished goods manufacturing. Priority areas include energy storage systems, permanent magnets, additive technologies, and new materials. Such products are essential for electric transport, the energy sector, electronics, aviation, the space industry, and other high-tech sectors.
The innovative science and technology center will become the scientific core of this system. Its task is to help developments navigate the most challenging stretch between the laboratory and the market: to test the technology, scale it up to industrial production, find the first customers, and launch mass manufacturing.
Rare and critical metals are becoming one of the key foundations of new industries – from electric vehicles and batteries to energy, electronics, and space technologies. Therefore, for BRICS countries, the interest lies not so much in Russia’s raw material base itself, but in the opportunity to work together at higher stages of processing – in refining, materials, and components.
Such an international framework is already taking shape. For instance, in 2026 the first agreement with India on joint development in the field of rare earth metals was planned, and negotiations on projects with China were also underway. The stated priorities were deep processing technologies, as well as components for electric transport and space systems.
For companies from BRICS countries, this is a potential platform for joint research, pilot production, technology localization, and component manufacturing. Amid global competition for critical minerals, this format is particularly appealing because it enables cooperation to be built not around raw material exports, but around an entire production chain – from metal to the final technological product.
