Critical materials in supply chains: Securing the UK semiconductor sector

Event Description

The UK's semiconductor industry - globally significant and strategically vital to everything from AI to defence - is built on a foundation of critical materials: raw and recycled minerals and chemicals that go into every stage of chip design and manufacture.  

Of the 34 raw elements the UK government has designated as "critical," a substantial share are essential to semiconductor supply chains specifically; without them, there is no chip. Without a chip, there is no electric vehicle, wind turbine, data centre, innovation in photonics or neuromorphic computing, or AI. Dependency is only growing, global demand for critical materials in clean energy technologies alone is expected to quadruple by 2040, with materials like lithium, cobalt, and graphite rising 6 to 13 times current levels. 

techUK is thrilled to bring together its semiconductor and sustainability programmes, alongside leading experts, to explore the current direction of travel and the specific next steps needed to secure the UK's material resilience. This will inform techUK's future activity around semiconductors, supply chains, and our industry forum- the Critical Minerals Taskforce.

So where does the UK stand? 

The UK holds some mineral deposits of its own, but building a fully self-reliant material supply chain isn't a realistic ambition. No single country holds all the resources chip production depends on within its own borders, so an international outlook will always be central to how the UK secures its semiconductor future. The UK is highly dependent on overseas sources, with materials such as gallium, helium and aluminium (all critical to chip manufacture) originating largely from a limited number of geopolitically sensitive regions, including China, Russia and the Middle East. 

Building the capacity to both secure and recover these materials has become a matter of national security and sovereignty. Government has taken steps to respond, publishing the Vision 2035 critical minerals strategy and introducing a new "growth minerals" list in 2025. But the global policy landscape is moving fast, and recent global shortages of critical materials have already created real pressure on global chip companies. This same pressure has also illuminated key opportunities in novel chip design, advanced materials that reduce dependency, strategic international partnerships, and smarter use of the materials the UK already has. 

What does the future hold for the UK's critical minerals?

From growing interest in the circular economy to EU alignment on technology sovereignty, the policy landscape shaping the UK's approach is developing rapidly, there is a significant economic and national security opportunity to build a more resilient, sustainable critical mineral supply chain. If the UK is to secure its stake as a leader in semiconductor design, IP, R&D and manufacturing, and as a world leader in AI and compute, it is essential that the sector has the physical building blocks it needs to grow. 

To help understand our current position, and what we need to do next, join us alongside key industry experts, as we explore: 

1. To what extent is the UK semiconductor sector exposed to critical material dependencies, and how seriously should industry be taking the risk of supply disruption? 

2. How can the UK work more effectively with international partners to reduce dependence on single-source suppliers and navigate export controls? 

3. Can circularity and recycling offer a credible path to supply chain resilience, and what needs to change in terms of infrastructure, policy and investment to make that a reality in the UK? 

4. What role can material innovation and next-generation design play in reducing the sector's reliance on at-risk inputs, and where is the UK best placed to lead? 

We're delighted to be hearing from: