Investors pivot to critical minerals
At the FII PRIORITY Miami summit industry leaders said global capital is shifting toward resilience, supply‑chain diversification and investment in critical minerals needed for energy transitions. The message: money is moving from short‑term yield chasing to bets that shore up supply chains and electric‑transition metals. (english.aawsat.com)
A dedicated FII panel titled “What will it take to win the race for critical minerals?” featured Emilie Bodoin (Founder, Pure Lithium Corporation), Jonathan Evans (President & CEO, Lithium Americas), Oliver Gunasekara (CEO & Co‑Founder, Impossible Metals) and was moderated by Jim Keravala (CEO, OffWorld). (youtube.com) Panelists warned about concentrated supply chains for rare earths and lithium and flagged strategic responses already in motion, including references to the U.S. “Project Vault” stockpile plan. (youtube.com) Project Vault was announced on Feb. 2, 2026 as a U.S. Strategic Critical Minerals Reserve backed by a Direct Loan of up to $10 billion from the Export‑Import Bank, with early participation signaled by OEMs such as Clarios, GE Vernova, Western Digital and Boeing. (exim.gov) Summit speakers repeatedly named lithium and rare earths as the immediate focal points for industrial and energy‑transition supply security during panels and plenaries. (youtube.com) Markets reacted to policy moves: U.S.‑listed rare‑earth and critical‑minerals miners saw share gains after the Project Vault announcement, with outlets reporting rallies in names such as MP Materials and USA Rare Earth. (cnbc.com) FII Institute coverage and regional reporting framed the shift as capital reallocating toward assets and projects that shore up processing, storage and alternative supply routes, a theme repeated across sessions addressing supply‑chain fragmentation and resilience. (fii-institute.org)
