The Canadian government has added a new metal to their list of critical minerals.

‍What’s happening:‍

• The government of Canada has officially declared silicon metal to be a critical mineral
  

Why it matters:‍

• Silicon is a critical input for emerging technologies such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence chip manufacturing
  
• Being declared a critical mineral by the Canadian government will broaden the amount of non-dilutive funding and grants that will be accessible to companies pursuing silicon metal exploration
  

Going deeper:‍

• Semiconductors have seen a renewed importance with the rise of venture backed artificial intelligence startups, leading to record breaking demand and the formation of purpose built venture capital funds aiming to incubate the next generation of semiconductor technology
  
• Canada also added high purity iron and phosphorus as new critical minerals alongside of silicon metal
  

By the numbers:‍

• There are now a total of 34 metals which have been deemed a critical mineral by the Canadian government
  

The intrigue:‍

• Silicon metal is also a critical input for solar panel manufacturing, representing one of the most commonly used materials for solar cells that convert sunlight into electricity

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