Industry resilience for critical minerals

The Critical Minerals Taskforce has submitted its report on industry resilience for critical minerals to the Department for Business and Trade.

The group, chaired by chief executive of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, Katherine Bennett, outlines where dependencies and vulnerabilities exist across UK industry sectors and makes recommendations for how to support UK industry to promote resilience and diversity in its critical mineral supply chains.

The government’s independent Task & Finish Group on Industry Resilience for Critical Minerals was established in April 2023, bringing together experts to advise the government on where dependencies exist in the UK’s critical mineral supply chains, and how industry can protect its supply.

Katherine Bennett CBE, chief executive of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult and chair of the Critical Minerals Task & Finish Group, said:

Swift action is imperative if the UK is to secure its place in the global critical minerals supply chain. We need the right materials as our government, businesses and academics work together to build a greener, more prosperous future.

This report distils the perspectives of UK industries that rely on critical minerals, including the automotive, electronics, aerospace, and energy sectors. It outlines the current uses, future application opportunities and potential supply chain disruptors for different critical minerals.

With these foundations, the UK can begin to make smarter, data-driven decisions on critical minerals, helping to ensure that our key strategic material demands will be met in the decades to come.

The Task & Finish Group was commissioned by Business and Trade Minister Nusrat Ghani. Members of the independent group were drawn from key industry sectors that depend on critical minerals, as well as experts with insights into the supply vulnerabilities of UK industry.

The work of the Task & Finish Group is intended to support the delivery of the UK Critical Minerals Strategy. Government will respond to the group’s recommendations in full in 2024.

Click here to read the Task & Finish Group on Industry Resilience for Critical Minerals’ report.