About

The Supply Chains & Critical Materials Hub unites UVA researchers to study the global networks that underpin modern economies, from mineral extraction and manufacturing to logistics, markets, and policy. The hub focuses particularly on critical materials essential to energy technologies, national security, and advanced manufacturing, using tools such as network science, AI, and digital twin modeling to understand vulnerabilities and opportunities. 

The hub is co-lead by Madhav Marathe and Phil Potter. Together, they bring the combined expertise of the Biocomplexity Institute and the National Security Data and Policy Institute at UVA. Their expertise is complemented by a group of strong researchers examining critical materials and supply chains from end to end—from resource discovery, extraction, processing, and refining to transportation, advanced manufacturing, distribution, end use, recycling, and recovery. Bringing together expertise in engineering, data science, economics, policy, environmental science, and the social sciences, the team explores not only how materials move through complex supply networks, but also how these systems respond to disruption, technological change, shifting markets, and evolving policy. This integrated perspective connects questions of resource availability and supply chain resilience with environmental and community impacts, economic competitiveness, and national and global security.

By integrating expertise across engineering, business, security and policy, and data science, the hub aims to develop actionable insights that strengthen supply chain resilience and transparency. The hub will foster new collaborations that position UVA to lead interdisciplinary research on secure and sustainable supply systems.

For more information, contact [email protected].

The Team

Our Expertise - Examples

Explore examples of research, projects, publications, and initiatives that reflect the breadth of expertise represented across the Hub.