"Fast 5" with keynote speaker Dr John Coyne
As Australia and its international partners work to secure the critical minerals needed for the energy transition, advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies, the intersection of policy geopolitics and supply chain resilience has never been more important. Ahead of his keynote at the Critical Minerals Conference, we spoke with Dr John Coyne, Director of National Security Programs at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), about the strategic forces reshaping global critica minerals markets, the role of government in building resilient value chains, and why Australia's opportunity extends far beyond resource extraction.
1. Can you tell us a little bit about your career and current role at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute?
I am Director of National Security Programs at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), where I lead research across critical minerals, economic security, Northern Australia, counterterrorism, resilience and statecraft. Before joining ASPI, I served in the Australian Army Intelligence Corps and later held senior strategic intelligence roles with the Australian Federal Police, working across transnational crime, terrorism and national security. Throughout my career I have focused on helping governments understand and manage strategic risk. My work increasingly examines how critical minerals, industrial capability, infrastructure and supply chains have become central to Australia's economic prosperity, sovereign capability and national security.
2. From your global experience, what are the key drivers impacting supply chain, demand, and the investment landscape for critical minerals?
Critical minerals are no longer simply commodities; they have become strategic assets. Demand continues to grow because of electrification, digital infrastructure, defence capability and artificial intelligence, while governments increasingly seek resilient and diversified supply chains. Investors are also responding to geopolitical risk, recognising that processing capability, trusted partnerships and sovereign resilience matter as much as geology. At the same time, markets remain volatile because many supply chains remain highly concentrated. The challenge for governments and industry is balancing commercial realities with long-term strategic interests, creating investment environments that encourage resilience rather than simply rewarding the lowest-cost producer.
3. What is the role of government in designing policy that will best support the development, processing and manufacturing of critical minerals in the region?
Governments should create the conditions for competitive markets rather than attempting to pick winners. That means providing stable policy settings, efficient approvals, enabling infrastructure, investment certainty and access to finance where markets alone cannot overcome strategic risk. Equally important is recognising that mining alone will not deliver economic security. Australia and its regional partners need policies that encourage downstream processing, advanced manufacturing, skills development and trusted international partnerships. Success depends upon treating critical minerals as part of a broader national industrial strategy that integrates economic competitiveness, energy security, defence capability and regional development.
4. How should the role of strategy and policy advisors shift in an increasingly complex environment?
Strategy and policy advisers need to move beyond forecasting individual events towards understanding how complex systems behave under pressure. The challenge is no longer simply identifying risks but understanding how decisions in one sector affect resilience across many others. Advisers must integrate economics, geopolitics, technology, infrastructure, industry and security into coherent policy advice. They also need to communicate uncertainty honestly while remaining practical and solutions-focused. In an era of accelerating change, governments require advisers who can connect strategic trends with operational realities and help decision-makers make better choices before crises emerge.
5. Who should see your keynote presentation in Brisbane, and why?
My keynote will be valuable for anyone involved in shaping Australia's critical minerals future, including industry leaders, investors, policymakers, defence stakeholders, researchers and state and federal government officials. Australia's opportunity extends well beyond extracting minerals. The real challenge is building resilient value chains that strengthen national security, economic competitiveness and regional prosperity. I will discuss how changing geopolitics is reshaping investment decisions, why resilience has become a strategic advantage, and how governments and industry can work together to position Australia as a trusted and enduring leader in the global critical minerals system.