INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AS AN AXIS OF TECHNOLOGICAL SOVEREIGNTY IN THE RARE EARTHS VALUE CHAIN: EVIDENCE FROM MINAS GERAIS

Rare earth elements constitute strategic mineral resources due to their application in technology-intensive sectors such as renewable energy, electric mobility, advanced electronics, and defense, assuming growing geopolitical relevance. Although Brazil holds significant geological potential for these elements, especially in Minas Gerais, its insertion into global value chains remains concentrated in the initial stages of mineral exploitation, revealing a mismatch between resource abundance and technological mastery. In this context, the article analyzes the role of the Industrial Property Law (Law No. 9,279/1996) as an instrument of technological sovereignty, linking the debate to international dynamics of control over critical minerals. A qualitative, exploratory, and analytical-descriptive approach is adopted, based on bibliographic and documentary review on geology, processing technologies, innovation, and territorial governance. The results indicate that the strategic value of rare earths depends more on the mastery of critical technological processes than on mere mineral extraction. It is concluded that technological sovereignty requires an integrated institutional arrangement, articulating innovation, intellectual property, and public policies oriented toward sustainable development.