Mining has not evolved for decades. The US must reinvent it as China tightens its grip on essential minerals

The impact is already being felt. Prices of gallium, a crucial component of semiconductors and solar panels, roughly doubled in Europe after China began imposing export restrictions in mid-2023. The same fate could await the market for antimony, which is used in flame retardants, batteries and defense applications such as night vision goggles and nuclear weapons. With demand for these building blocks of the modern economy skyrocketing, as the world scrambles to electrify transport, digitize industry and strengthen defense capabilities, the prospect of crippling shortages looms large.

However, the United States remains highly dependent on imports, particularly from China, for many of these essential materials. Developments over the past year suggest that Beijing is increasingly willing to exploit this dependence to advance its geopolitical agenda and outflank the West. If we fail to act, we risk ceding control of the foundation of our technological future to our greatest rival.

To secure our technological future, we urgently need to develop domestic sources of critical minerals. However, traditional mining methods are often destructive to the environment and face strong public opposition. Many mining practices have remained largely unchanged for centuries. As one senior government official put it, Pliny the Elder would recognize most of the techniques used in today’s mines. In some cases, it is estimated that the economic costs of air, water and climate pollution from mineral extraction may exceed the market value of the minerals themselves.

What is needed is a fundamental reinvention of the mining industry – one that uses cutting-edge innovations in fields such as synthetic biology, advanced materials, artificial intelligence and chemical engineering to make mineral production cleaner, more efficient and more sustainable. We also need to diversify the supply stream by finding innovative ways to recycle essential minerals from discarded devices and industrial waste streams. By creating a circular economy for these valuable materials, we can reduce the impact of mining on the environment while supporting our domestic supply chains. This dual approach will require a new generation of bright engineers and scientists who can pioneer new extraction, processing and recycling technologies.

Yet despite its immense potential for impact and generational wealth creation, mining is failing to attract top talent from the United States. Many American students perceive the industry as old-fashioned and environmentally harmful, opting instead for fields such as biotechnology, artificial intelligence or carbon removal. In stark contrast, China’s mining education pipeline is thriving: China University of Mining and Technology alone enrolls more mining engineering students than all US universities combined.

To close this alarming gap, we must redefine mining as a frontier for technological disruption and a key enabler of the clean energy transition. Attracting a new generation of bright minds to reimagine mineral production won’t just bring massive financial rewards for American companies. It will boost US manufacturing, create skilled jobs, accelerate climate change mitigation and strengthen our geopolitical position. Relinquishing leadership in this critical area is a luxury we simply cannot afford.

Washington has begun to recognize the urgency of the challenge, with the Pentagon expanding the National Defense Reserve to include critical minerals and the Department of Energy launching new initiatives to catalyze private sector innovation in this space. However, we need a whole-of-society effort: industry, academia and policymakers must work together to build a world-leading, environmentally responsible mining sector for the 21st century.

To attract top talent, universities should follow the lead of Stanford and the Colorado School of Mines by expanding mining and mineral engineering programs with an emphasis on cutting-edge technology and environmental stewardship. Investors and large industrial consumers of essential minerals, from automakers to defense contractors, should actively support and fund promising startups working to remake the mining industry. And policymakers at all levels should prioritize reform, R&D investment, and workforce development to accelerate responsible domestic production of essential minerals.

By reimagining mining for the digital age, we can create a cleaner, safer, and more prosperous future—one where America is no longer at the mercy of foreign powers for the essential minerals that support our national security and fuel our economy. Achieving this vision will require the brightest minds of a new generation to see mining not as a relic of the past, but as a cutting-edge industry where they can apply their talents to solve one of the greatest challenges of our time. The race is on and we can’t afford to lose.

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