The new Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre (CMIC) will be run by the British Geological Survey in Nottingham and will support the UK in the competitive global critical minerals market

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CMIC will process data on critical minerals. (Credit: Scott Graham on Unsplash)

The UK government has officially inaugurated the Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre (CMIC), which will be run by the British Geological Survey in Nottingham.

The CMIC marks the UK’s first centre to collect and analyse data regarding the supply of critical minerals and was granted up to £3.6m financing for the next three years.

It will provide the most recent data and analysis on supply, demand, and market dynamics, to help strengthen the UK’s critical mineral supply chain.

In addition, the data will be used by policymakers to develop evidence-based policies that will strengthen the critical mineral supply chains in the UK.

The critical minerals are essential for manufacturing products that are required for electric vehicles, wind turbines, mobile phones and fighter jets among others.

The CMIC was created based on work done by the Critical Minerals Expert Group, which was created last year, to harness the UK’s critical minerals capabilities.

It will be governed by the UK’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, under the guidance of an expert advisory panel.

The new data centre is expected to contribute to around a 500% increase in the production of certain critical minerals by 2050.

UK’s Minister for Industry Lee Rowley said: “Critical minerals are so important to every aspect of our daily lives, whether it’s the phones we use, the cars we drive, or the batteries in our laptops.

“As the world shifts towards new green technologies, supply chains will become more competitive. That’s why we’re harnessing the British Geological Survey’s vast experience in geoscience, to ensure better access to these crucial resources, and support the delivery of our forthcoming Critical Minerals Strategy.”

The British Geological Survey (BGS) will execute the CMIC, by combining its own resources, expertise, and data with those of third parties.

The CMIC will provide the government with the latest analysis on the supply, demand, flow, and market dynamics of critical minerals.

In addition, it will provide policymakers with advice on emerging issues, along with limited data and insights to businesses, wherever it is appropriate and beneficial.

The CMIC is set to reach its first major milestone and has published a study on the future UK demand for critical minerals required for electric vehicle batteries.

BGS director Dr Karen Hanghøj said: “The British Geological Survey has a strong reputation for its work on mineral and metal supply, and is internationally known for its expertise on critical raw materials.

“Through the new Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre, we are looking forward to building on this track record to provide UK industry and policymakers with high-quality information and advice.”