Harjit Sajjan: Why critical minerals are Canada’s next national security frontier

Critical minerals have become essential not only for the global energy transition but also for national security and defence. As countries work to secure reliable domestic supply chains, mining, manufacturing and defence are becoming increasingly interconnected. Canada’s abundant mineral resources position the country to play a larger role in supplying materials needed for advanced technologies, but building resilient supply chains will require investment, collaboration and long-term planning.

Juno Industries was founded with the goal of helping Canada address some of its most pressing defence and technology challenges through innovation. The company aims to become a trusted partner capable of developing solutions that strengthen Canada’s industrial and security capabilities while supporting national sovereignty.

During an interview with Canadian Mining Journal, Hon. Harjit Sajjan, former minister of national defence and co-founder and executive chairman of Juno Industries, discussed the growing importance of critical minerals to defence, Canada’s need to strengthen domestic supply chains and the role governments and industry must play in ensuring the country remains both resource-secure and defence-ready.

Critical minerals have always mattered

CMJ: As Canada’s former minister of national defence, you have seen firsthand how strategic vulnerabilities can affect national security. How do you view the relationship between critical minerals and defence readiness, particularly as countries race to secure supplies of minerals essential for batteries, electronics, autonomous systems and advanced military technologies?

Harjit Sajjan answered, “Critical minerals have always been essential to national security,” although he believes their importance has only recently become part of the broader public conversation.

“I mean, it is something that has not been discussed in the past as much before,” Sajjan said. “I think in recent times, this discussion has not only come more into the public sphere, but governments are paying more attention because the international rules-based order of allowing global trade in critical minerals has obviously eroded.”

He explained that changing geopolitical conditions have reinforced the direct connection between critical minerals and military preparedness.

“It is absolutely essential where the pathway between critical minerals and defence readiness takes place,” he said. “This has always been there, but I would just say it has now become highlighted much more significantly.”

For Sajjan, the issue is not that critical minerals have suddenly become strategically important; rather, governments are now recognizing a reality that has existed for decades. Modern defence systems increasingly depend on secure supplies of minerals used in electronics, batteries, communications equipment and advanced technologies, making supply chain resilience an integral part of national security planning.

Lessons from geopolitical tensions

CMJ: Many of the technologies shaping modern defence — from drones and autonomous systems to communications and surveillance platforms — depend on secure access to critical minerals. What lessons should Canada draw from recent geopolitical tensions when it comes to developing domestic critical mineral supply chains?

Sajjan said recent geopolitical developments have forced Canada and many other countries to reconsider the resilience of their supply chains.

“The current tensions that we see around the world are making many nations, especially here in Canada, take a look at what supply chains we need to have that are integral to Canada,” he said. “We cannot be put into a situation where our national security is threatened because we do not have access to certain minerals or certain equipment to allow us to refine our minerals.”

He acknowledged that the international environment has changed significantly.

“Sadly, the world has moved in a very different direction than we had hoped,” Sajjan said. “The current tensions are forcing us to look at what supply chains we need to have within our own borders.”

While strengthening domestic capabilities is essential, he added that international partnerships will remain an important part of Canada’s long-term strategy.

“If we do need to go outside, we must be making sure that we have arrangements and trade deals with trusted partners,” he said. “The reverse side of that is also for other nations to take a look at Canada as a kind of reliable partner as well.”

Sajjan believes Canada’s reputation as a dependable trading partner could become an important competitive advantage as countries seek secure, trusted sources of critical minerals and refined products.

Building Canada’s complete supply chain

CMJ: Canada has significant reserves of nickel, cobalt, rare earth elements and other critical minerals, yet much of the downstream processing and manufacturing capacity remains concentrated elsewhere. From a national security perspective, how important is it for Canada and its allies to build more integrated domestic supply chains?

Sajjan said, “Canada is a natural resource power. But I think mistakes in the past looked at the way the world was, and we thought it was going in a different direction, that some of the refining could be done with other partners.”

Events in recent years have demonstrated that relying heavily on offshore processing creates strategic vulnerabilities, he said.

“Sadly, that has shown that this is not going to work. We cannot just send our minerals — especially our critical minerals — in raw form to be processed somewhere else for us to then try to repurchase them after they are refined.”

Instead, Sajjan argued Canada should invest across the entire value chain.

“We need to invest in more technology on how to refine critical minerals. We need to create far greater capacity,” he said. “I think what Canada needs is to look at discovery, extraction and the processing of critical minerals inside the country.”

Building that capacity will require substantial investment, he acknowledged, but he believes the long-term benefits justify the effort.

For Sajjan, strengthening Canada’s critical mineral supply chain is about far more than supporting mining. It is about creating an integrated system that spans discovery, extraction, refining and advanced manufacturing while reinforcing Canada’s economic resilience and national security.

A needs-based innovation company

CMJ: Juno Industries has positioned itself at the intersection of defence technology and Canadian sovereignty. Can you explain the company’s mission and long-term vision, and how that mission aligns with strengthening Canada’s industrial, technological and security capabilities?

Sajjan said Juno Industries was created with a different philosophy than many traditional technology companies.

Rather than developing products first and then searching for customers, he said the company’s objective is to work alongside Canada in solving complex national challenges.

“What we want Juno Industries to be — and the reason it was founded — is we want to be a partner in Canada to solve Canada’s difficult challenges as we look at future threats to the country and how we solve some of these threats, whether it is developing new technologies or new ways of operating,” he said.

Sajjan described the company’s long-term vision as becoming an innovation-driven organization capable of responding to evolving national priorities rather than focusing on a single technology or product.

“So, being a reliable industry partner to the country in solving its challenges. We look at becoming a needs-based company, an innovation company that hires amazing talent that can solve many problems.”

He hopes Juno Industries will become a go-to organization for governments when new challenges arise.

“When there is a challenge that needs to be solved and a solution is needed, we want the military or the nation to be able to say, ‘Let’s talk to Juno Industries because they might have a solution for these problems.’”

“Even though we recently started, we have already had some good success down this path.”

His comments reflect a broader vision that places innovation at the centre of Canada’s long-term security strategy, with industry playing a larger role in anticipating future defence requirements rather than simply responding to existing procurement needs.

Governments and industry must work together

CMJ: Looking ahead, do you see critical minerals becoming as strategically important to national security in the 21st century as oil was in the 20th century? What role should governments, mining companies and technology firms play in ensuring Canada remains both resource-secure and defence-ready?

Sajjan said, “Critical minerals obviously play an extremely important role when it comes to microchips and so many different things that are needed for building our military industrial base. It is vital right now that we invest in our entire supply chain. If we do not, some of the technology that we need to build — especially if we wanted to increase the scale of it — we will not have the necessary tools to be able to do so. We are already seeing significant impacts of this, whether it is the chips that are way more expensive now to build, so the prices are going up.”

“We need these critical minerals to build some of the new technologies that are coming online. If you look at the supply chain, whether it is chips or batteries, there are so many things that we need to focus on. But this is one area that governments cannot do it alone either. As you know, in the mining sector, critical minerals are just a small component to certain companies. I can understand the challenge that it is going to have for larger companies saying, ‘Why should we look at a small little market like this when most of the work is done in other areas?’”

“But I would submit that companies, especially large companies, do need to step up and look at playing an important role because of the strategic importance for their countries. Governments need to put more emphasis on investment, but we also need to look at partnering on technology investment. As you probably have seen, certain countries can flood the market and bring the price down significantly, which does not make it viable for a company to be in this market. There is going to have to be support from government to put some caps or ceilings — a kind of baseline price — so that a company knows if it invests in critical mineral refining, there will be a guaranteed price that makes it economically viable.”

“This is going to take a significant government-private partnership, but I believe that not only can it happen, but it is also absolutely necessary that we get this done if we want to achieve true sovereignty within our own nation.”

Watch the full interview at