Strategic Resources in Competition: Critical Minerals & Rare Earth Elements

The Irregular Warfare Initiative (IWI) and the Special Operations Association of America (SOAA) will host a two-day conference at Carahsoft Headquarters in Reston, Virginia, focused on the role of critical minerals and rare earth elements in strategic competition. As demand for these resources grows across defense, energy, and advanced technologies, control of supply chains has become a central factor in national security and irregular competition.

Bringing together 400–600 leaders from government, industry, academia, and the national security community, the conference will examine how strategic resources are used as instruments of leverage, denial, and influence. Day one will focus on supply chain vulnerabilities, economic statecraft, and gray-zone dynamics, while day two shifts to forward-looking solutions and emerging approaches to strengthening resilience. The event will also include an invitation-only working group and tabletop exercise (TTX), convening senior stakeholders to explore how to compete and shape outcomes in contested resource environments.

Who Should Attend

• U.S. government and interagency professionals
• Military and special operations leaders
• Industry stakeholders across critical minerals, supply chains, and infrastructure
• Investors and financial leaders in strategic resources
• Academia, think tanks, and national security analysts
• Journalists covering defense and global competition