Resilience: Critical Minerals to Watch for in Your BOM

Not all critical minerals carry the same risk profile in electronics. Several deserve particular attention because they combine geopolitical concentration, growing demand, and limited substitution pathways.

Gallium has become increasingly important in semiconductors, RF systems, LEDs, and power electronics. China’s export controls in 2023 demonstrated how quickly access risk can become operational risk.

Graphite remains central to battery anodes and energy storage systems. Refining capacity is highly concentrated.

Rare earth elements such as neodymium and dysprosium are essential in magnets used across motors, sensors, aerospace systems, and industrial electronics.

Copper is often overlooked because it is familiar, but electrification and AI infrastructure growth are driving significant long-term demand pressure.

Cobalt and nickel remain strategically important for batteries, especially in automotive and industrial applications.

The challenge for most manufacturers is that these materials rarely appear clearly in direct procurement systems. Their exposure is often buried several layers deep inside components, substrates, magnets, or supplier networks. That is increasingly where resilience work begins.