Star Metro - Aclara Teams up with Stanford's Mineral-X to Pioneer AI-Driven Rare Earths Research

Key Objectives of the Aclara-Stanford Collaboration:

• Joint development of AI-powered predictive models to better understand and target REE mineralization in regolith and ionic clays.

• Academic and technical exchange between researchers, students, and professionals from both institutions to support mutual training, knowledge transfer, and capacity building.

• Innovation opportunities in sustainable exploration, traceability, and responsible development of REE supply chains.

• Co-authorship of scientific publications and joint management of intellectual property related to AI applications in exploration, ensuring confidentiality and managing intellectual property rights in accordance with each Party's internal policies.

• Roadmap for a long-term strategic alliance, including future R&D initiatives and pilot projects.

"This partnership with Stanford's Mineral-X reinforces our commitment to innovation and leadership in the global rare earth supply chain,"commented Ramón Barúa, Aclara's Chief Executive Officer. "By embedding Aclara into Silicon Valley's innovation ecosystem and combining our expertise in heavy rare earths with Mineral-X's advanced AI technologies, we aim to jointly develop smarter, cleaner, and more secure solutions that strengthen the resilience of alternative supply chains."

"It has been a joy collaborating with the world-class data science & geoscience team at Aclara. Their team brings the highest professional experience in REE exploration & resource appraisal and Mineral-X is looking forward to pushing the boundary on the predictive capacity of the human-in-loop data science and AI, thereby making the exploration enterprise more efficient, more targeted and less expensive, " states Jef Caers, Founder of Mineral-X and Professor of Earth & Planetary Sciences at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability.

Through this partnership, Aclara will refine and enhance its use of artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate the discovery and development of ionic clay-hosted rare earth deposits, crucial sources of the heavy rare earths needed for permanent magnets in electric vehicles, wind turbines, and other decarbonization technologies.

Mineral-X is globally recognized as the leading research platform in AI-enabled mineral exploration. It has served as the launchpad for some of the world's most successful mining AI startups and is at the forefront of integrating machine learning, geosciences, and sustainability.

About Aclara

Aclara Resources Inc. (TSX: ARA), a Toronto Stock Exchange listed company, is focused on building a vertically integrated supply chain for rare earths alloys used in permanent magnets. This strategy is supported by Aclara's development of rare earth mineral resources hosted in ionic clay deposits, which contain high concentrations of the scarce heavy rare earths, providing the Company with a long-term, reliable source of these critical materials. The Company's rare earth mineral resource development projects include the Carina Project in the State of Goiás, Brazil as its flagship project and the Penco Module in the Biobío Region of Chile. Both projects feature Aclara's patented technology named Circular Mineral Harvesting, which offers a sustainable and energy-efficient extraction process for rare earths from ionic clay deposits. The Circular Mineral Harvesting process has been designed to minimize the water consumption and overall environmental impact through recycling and circular economy principles. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Aclara Technologies Inc., the Company is further enhancing its product value by developing a rare earths separation plant in the United States. This facility will process mixed rare earth carbonates sourced from Aclara's mineral resource projects, separating them into pure individual rare earth oxides. Additionally, Aclara through a joint venture with CAP, is advancing its alloy-making capabilities to convert these refined oxides into the alloys needed for fabricating permanent magnets. This joint venture leverages CAP's extensive expertise in metal refining and special ferro-alloyed steels. Beyond the Carina Project and the Penco Module, Aclara is committed to expanding its mineral resource portfolio by exploring greenfield opportunities and further developing projects within its existing concessions in Brazil, Chile, and Peru, aiming to increase future production of heavy rare earths.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which reflects the Company's current expectations regarding future events, including statements with regard to, among other things, the Company's corporate strategy; expectations as to activities conducted in connection with this Letter of Intent and the success, effect or outcomes resulting therefrom; the development of new artificial intelligence tools, the optimization of heavy rare earths supply chains and exploration, and the economic effect of the Letter of Intent, and the Company's expectations as to the partnership contemplated thereby. Forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to risks related to operating in a foreign jurisdiction, including political and economic risks in Chile and Brazil; risks related to changes to mining laws and regulations and the termination or non-renewal of mining rights by governmental authorities; risks related to failure to comply with the law or obtain necessary permits and licenses or renew them; cost of compliance with applicable environmental regulations; actual production, capital and operating costs may be different than those anticipated; the Company may be not able to successfully complete the development, construction and startup of mines and new development projects; risks related to fluctuation in commodity prices; risks related to mining operations; and dependence on the Penco Module and/or the Carina Project. Aclara cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. For a detailed discussion of the foregoing factors, among others, please refer to the risk factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual information form dated as of March 20, 2025, filed on the Company's SEDAR+ profile. Actual results and timing could differ materially from those projected herein. Unless otherwise noted or the context otherwise indicates, the forward-looking information contained in this press release is provided as of the date of this press release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required under applicable securities laws.

For further information, please contact:

Ramón Barúa Costa
Chief Executive Officer
[email protected]

SOURCE: Aclara Resources Inc.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

A.Lavoie--SMC