Instructed by Nie Rongzhen, Vice Premier of the P.R.C. at that time, preparation for the construction of Baotou Research Institute of Rare Earths (BRIRE for short hereinafter) started in 1960. The Institute was officially founded in 1963 and merged into Baogang Group in 1992. 

Since its foundation, BRIRE has devoted to comprehensive exploitation and utilization of rare earth resources. Nowadays, it has been developed into the largest comprehensive rare earth technological R&D institution in China, covering the fields of rare earth metallurgy, environmental protection, new rare earth functional materials, application of rare earths in high tech industry, technical upgrading in traditional industry, rare earth assay & inspection and rare earth information. There are several national research centers in the Institute, including "State Key Laboratory of Baiyunobo Rare Earth Resource Researches and Comprehensive Utilization", "National Engineering Research Center of Rare Earth Metallurgy and Functional Materials", “National New Materials Testing & Assessment Platform (Rare Earth Industry)”, “International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base for Rare Earth Materials” and "Northern Rare Earth Industry Productivity Promotion Center". BRIRE has created the "International Rare Earth Patents Retrieval System". China Rare Earth Website (www.cre.net) run by the Institute is an authoritative website on rare earths in China. Professional bulletins including "Chinese Rare Earths", "China Rare Earth Information" (English version) and "Rare Earth Information" are published by the Institute. "National Rare Earth Product Quality Supervision and Test Center" is set up in BRIRE. BRIRE has the qualification of "National Assay and Inspection Staff Capability Training".

BRIRE has undertaken more than 2300 projects, and has got more than 300 technological achievements of provincial and ministerial level or above. More than 300 patents were granted. Under the principles of opening-up, cooperation, mutual benefit, and win-win, BRIRE carries out domestic and international exchanges and cooperation with universities and research institutes, and has made great contributions to the development of Chinese rare earth industry.（Update:2022.5）