Critical Mineral Intelligence Centre hosts second conference

Hosted by BGS and supported by the Department for Business & Trade (DBT), the UK Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre (CMIC) delivers authoritative, impartial and independent, up-to-date data, information and analysis about critical minerals for the UK’s economy.

CMIC’s second conference, which took place on Wednesday 26 February 2025, showcased and provided the opportunity to discuss the research and analysis that CMIC has delivered. The 2025 UK Criticality Assessment was one of the main topics of the event. The report builds on robust, CMIC-developed methodology and was released at the end of 2024. Thirty-four minerals are classified as critical, providing foundations for future UK policy and investment, as well as for foresight studies highlighting vulnerabilities in the supply chains of minerals critical to the growth of decarbonisation technologies in the UK to 2050.

Dr Karen Hanghøj, BGS Director, opened the conference by providing an overview of current supply risks for critical minerals and the role BGS and its wider minerals research can play.

The supply of minerals is essential to our economy and society and security of supply has never been more important. The work of CMIC and the wider BGS is important in addressing many of the challenges that we currently face. Through our role hosting CMIC, we continue to build on and expand our legacy expertise and provide impartial knowledge, data and research to Government and industry.

Dr Karen Hanghøj, BGS Director.

Sarah Jones MP, Minister of State for Industry at DBT, then provided a virtual address, acknowledging the substantial increase in the supply of critical minerals required to meet the growing demand.

This second CMIC conference is a great opportunity to reflect on the research released since the first conference in 2023. Both criticality assessments and foresight studies play important roles in understanding supply risk and in advising industry and Government. We understand which minerals are critical and, looking ahead, evaluate to what extent the UK can meet the demand needed for economic growth, decarbonisation and national security.

Dr Gavin Mudd, CMIC Director.

Dr Pierre Josso, deputy director at CMIC, presented key findings from the UK 2024 criticality assessment. Dr Evi Petavratzi, senior mineral commodity expert at BGS, looked ahead to the UK’s future as she spoke about the outcomes of the CMIC foresight studies. The foresight studies estimate which materials will be required by decarbonisation technologies to meet the UK’s net zero goals and highlight the challenges faced in meeting demand. An expert panel discussion around foresight studies capped the morning agenda.

In the afternoon there were two expert panels: the first discussed the UK critical minerals strategy and policy, whilst the second discussed the future of CMIC. Simon Thompson, BGS Board member, then brought the conference to a close, reinforcing the great value that CMIC’s research work brings to the UK Government and policymaking around critical minerals.