I find this paragraph in Molycorp's IPO very interesting:
We are currently working to secure a collaborative joint venture agreement with a third-party manufacturer of NdFeB magnets. This joint venture will provide us with access to the intellectual property, technology, people and facilities to convert our rare earth materials into the high-performance permanent magnets required for production of hybrid and electric vehicles, wind power turbines, high-tech applications and numerous advanced defense systems on which the U.S. economy and national security depend. The consummation of such a joint venture, in conjunction with our current modernization plans and the potential acquisition of a third-party rare earth metals and alloys producer, is expected to provide us with the capability to mine, process, separate and alloy individual REEs before manufacturing them into NdFeB magnets. This downstream integration would make us the only fully integrated producer of NdFeB magnets outside of China, helping to secure rare earth supply for the Rest of World.
