en.Wedoany.com Reported - Former Canadian Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan noted that the importance of critical minerals to national security has become an increasingly prominent issue. The current co-founder and executive chairman of Juno Industries stated in an interview with the Canadian Mining Journal that the rules-based international order allowing global trade in critical minerals has been eroded, reinforcing the direct link between critical minerals and military readiness.
Sajjan believes that modern defense systems are highly dependent on a secure supply of minerals required for electronic devices, batteries, and advanced technologies, making supply chain resilience central to national security planning. Recent geopolitical tensions have forced countries to reassess supply chain security. He emphasized that Canada cannot afford to find itself in a situation where national security is threatened due to the inability to access certain minerals or refining equipment.
Regarding Canada's substantial reserves of critical minerals such as nickel, cobalt, and rare earth elements, but with downstream processing capacity concentrated overseas, Sajjan stated that heavy reliance on overseas processing creates strategic vulnerabilities. He advocated for Canada to invest in refining technologies for critical minerals, increase production capacity, and focus on building the entire value chain from discovery and extraction to processing, rather than merely supporting mining.
Sajjan introduced Juno Industries' mission as an innovation-driven organization that collaborates with Canada to solve complex national challenges, rather than simply developing products. The company aims to become the preferred industry partner for the government when facing new challenges, playing a greater role in anticipating defense needs.
Regarding the strategic importance of critical minerals, Sajjan compared them to oil in the 20th century. He believes that governments cannot make supply chain investments alone, and mining and technology companies need to step up and play a significant role, especially large enterprises. He proposed that governments should provide support, such as setting benchmark prices, to ensure the economic viability of investing in critical mineral refining. He concluded that significant public-private partnerships are essential for achieving national sovereignty.
