Canada's Critical Minerals Fuel Emerging Technology Economy

Canada's mining sector is transforming into a technology enabler as the country's critical minerals become the foundation of its technology economy. The world is accelerating towards electrification, digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, battery storage, and advanced manufacturing, making Canada's long-established mining sector a key player in these areas.

The country's critical minerals strategy positions minerals as the 'building blocks' of the green and digital economy, covering exploration, extraction, processing, product manufacturing, and recycling. Modern technologies are mineral-intensive, with lithium, nickel, cobalt, and graphite being central to many battery chemistries, copper underpinning power transmission, electric motors, and data infrastructure, and rare earth elements used in magnets for wind turbines, electric vehicles, and defense technologies.

Canada has attracted global attention due to its combination of mineral resources, clean electricity, automotive manufacturing capability, and proximity to the U.S. market, ranking first in BloombergNEF's 2024 global lithium-ion battery supply chain ranking. The country is moving beyond extraction into battery-grade materials, cathodes, anodes, cells, packs, vehicle components, and recycling, with major investments involving companies such as Volkswagen-backed PowerCo, NextStar Energy, Stellantis, LG Energy Solution, and Umicore.