In recent years, CMI has launched significant initiatives to advance its vision. Research and strategic guidance are a major focus – for example, CMI maintains a “think tank” of experts who analyze global critical mineral trends and advise on solutions. One headline initiative has been the development of an official CMI Critical Minerals List. In early-2024, CMI unveiled its first-ever critical minerals list highlighting 18 minerals deemed essential for sustaining Western economic growth. This list (which included minerals like lithium, graphite, rare earth elements, cobalt, uranium, and others) underscored supply-chain vulnerabilities and the need for diversified sourcing. Building on that effort, CMI released an expanded Critical Minerals List 2025 identifying 23 key minerals vital for global technology, defense, and economic resilience. Announced in April 2025, this updated list serves as a “strategic blueprint” and comes with an urgent call for international collaboration to secure fragile supply chains in the face of geopolitical concentration of these resources. CMI’s leadership has emphasized that without unified action, disruptions in the supply of these critical materials could threaten economic and national security.