IOM3 welcomes new Secretaries of State 2025
IOM3 has written to newly appointed Secretaries of State, highlighting the key role of materials, minerals and mining.
Following the recent cabinet reshuffle, IOM3 CEO Dr Colin Church CEnv FIMMM has written to Liz Kendall, Peter Kyle and Emma Reynolds, congratulating the new Secretaries of State on their appointments and highlighting the key role of materials, minerals and mining in their respective departments.
As set out in the recent IOM3 report Materials-Driven Missions: Delivering the Plan for Change, the letters highlighted the centrality of materials, minerals and mining to delivering government ambitions and promoting resilient, sustainable growth.
Writing to the new Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Liz Kendall, Dr Church highlighted the importance of materials innovation for the advancement of sectors such as digital technology, clean energy, defence, life sciences and advanced manufacturing. He noted that despite their significance to a resilient, innovative and sustainable economy, the UK lacks a coordinated approach to materials, minerals and mining industries. Greater investment is needed in materials innovation, including advancements to support circularity and decarbonisation. It was recommended that the Secretary of State adopt a full supply chain approach, incorporating questions of materials management and sustainability into strategy and decision-making on science, innovation and technology.
Writing to Peter Kyle, the new Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Dr Church outlined the vital importance of materials, minerals and mining to key UK industries, as well as economic resilience more broadly. He highlighted in particular the role of critical raw materials, and the processed materials they feed into, in bolstering industrial resilience in essential sectors from clean energy to defence. Moreover, Dr Church highlighted the role of materials, minerals and mining in delivering the Modern Industrial Strategy and the need for this strategy to be implemented in close alignment with other key plans such as the forthcoming Critical Minerals Strategy and Circular Economy Strategy.
Finally, in his letter to Emma Reynolds, the new Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Dr Church highlighted how accelerating the transition to a more circular economy is essential to ensure the better use and management of the materials we need. From building resilience into UK supply chains to bolstering national and energy security, circularity drives economic, social and environmental development. As such, Dr Church stressed the importance of the transition to a circular economy remaining a top priority for the department.
In all letters, Dr Church emphasised the wealth of knowledge and experience in IOM3 membership and the role of IOM3 as an informed and impartial source of technical information, in line with our Royal Charter.
Read Materials-driven Missions: Delivering the Plan for Change below.
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