The Choke Point Is Moving

The Choke Point Is Moving America is rebuilding its industrial base but rebuilding capacity is only part of the problem. The next challenge is protecting the people, knowledge, capital, technology, suppliers and infrastructure that make that industrial base work. In Episode 16 of Core Sample, I’m looking at a pattern emerging across critical minerals, manufacturing, research, defense and secure technology. Over the past month, the United States has announced new investments in mining and metallurgy education, critical-minerals workforce development, research-security reviews, government-backed financing, gallium production, copper foil, microelectronics testing, industrial efficiency and secure artificial intelligence. These programs are not all part of one initiative, but together, they point toward the same shift: Industrial policy is increasingly becoming industrial-security policy. In This Episode * Why Washington is investing across capability, people, capital and security * Why protecting research and intellectual property is becoming part of supply-chain resilience * How gallium, copper foil and microelectronics testing illustrate different kinds of strategic dependencies * Why secure AI belongs in the industrial-security conversation * How a physical supply-chain choke point can become a cybersecurity attack surface * Why cybersecurity is increasingly becoming part of industrial strategy Don’t just follow the mine. Follow the material, the money, the technology and the choke point. About Core Sample Core Sample examines the intersection of cybersecurity, capital, critical minerals, industrial capacity, operational resilience, and national security. Pull up a chair. Grab a cup of tea or a hot chocolate and keep watching the signals. Disclaimer Everything on Core Sample is provided for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this episode constitutes investment advice, financial advice, legal advice, cybersecurity advice for a particular system, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Sturnella LLC is a strategic-risk, capital-markets cybersecurity, and governance advisory firm. It is not a registered investment adviser, broker-dealer, financial institution, engineering firm, or safety assessor. Government loans, grants, equity investments, procurement programs, industrial-policy initiatives, and other government-supported programs involve substantial financial, political, technical, operational, and execution risks. Always conduct your own research and work with qualified professionals who understand your particular circumstances, operating environment, and security requirements. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sturnellahq.substack.com