Stardust Power Inc. (NASDAQ:SDST) ("Stardust Power" or the "Company"), an American developer of battery-grade lithium carbonate, today announced that it has joined the Lithium Regional Innovation Cluster ("LRIC"), a collaborative industry initiative focused on advancing innovation, supply chain resilience, and economic development across the U.S. lithium value chain.

LRIC brings together industry participants, technology providers, academic institutions, and public-sector stakeholders to accelerate the development of a scalable and sustainable U.S. lithium ecosystem. Through this collaboration, Stardust Power will contribute its midstream refining expertise while engaging with peers across the value chain to support innovation and industry best practices.

Participation in LRIC supports Stardust Power's strategy to advance domestic lithium refining capacity and reduce reliance on foreign supply chains. The collaboration is formalized through a memorandum of understanding.