Strategic & Technical Advisory
Decision support on critical-material markets, supply chains, technologies, processing routes and commercialisation strategy.
Critical materials · Technology · Strategy
Technical and strategic insight across materials, technology and markets.
Strategic Materials Advisory works with companies, investors, governments and boards navigating critical-material supply chains, industrial technologies and the decisions that determine whether opportunities become viable businesses.
What we do
Independent, technically grounded advice for consequential decisions — from understanding a material or technology, to assessing a project, developing a strategy, or challenging the assumptions behind an investment.
Due Diligence & Opportunity Assessment
Independent assessment of projects, technologies, teams, flowsheets, claims, competitive position and development risk for investors and corporate decision-makers.
Technology Commercialisation
From laboratory evidence to industrial relevance: scale-up logic, process-development strategy, technical risk, partner selection and routes to deployment.
Critical-Materials Strategy & Briefings
Supply security, sourcing, industrial capability, market structure, standards and policy implications across strategic and critical materials, including focused studies and executive briefings for organisations entering unfamiliar parts of the supply chain.
Boards & Senior Advisory
Board, advisory-board and executive-level contribution where technical complexity, commercial judgement and strategic materials expertise converge.
Specialist Projects & Expert Teams
For complex assignments, workshops and project work, SMA can bring together carefully selected teams of accomplished colleagues and subject-matter specialists, providing complementary expertise where the scope calls for it.
Where we work
Particular depth in rare-earth materials and permanent magnets, with broader work across the critical-materials value chain and industrial process technologies.
Rare earthsMining and feedstocks, separation and purification, metals and alloys, recycling, supply-chain strategy and market structure.
Permanent magnetsNdFeB and SmCo materials, manufacturing, magnetic applications, supply chains, qualification and technology assessment.
Process technologyNovel and improved industrial processes, scale-up, flowsheets, separation technologies and commercialisation pathways.
Critical materialsStrategic evaluation of materials, projects and supply chains relevant to energy, defence, advanced manufacturing and industrial resilience.
Dr Gareth Hatch CEng FIMMM FIET
Founder of Strategic Materials Advisory, Gareth Hatch brings more than 25 years of experience spanning permanent-magnet engineering, critical-material markets, process technology, company leadership and international industry advisory work.
“Technical credibility matters. But the important question is what the evidence means for the decision that has to be made.”
His career has included senior technical and executive roles, technology-company formation, patented innovation, corporate and investor advisory work, and participation in international standards and industry initiatives.
That combination allows Strategic Materials Advisory to move comfortably between the laboratory, the flowsheet, the boardroom and the investment committee — translating technical complexity into commercially useful judgement.
Experience that crosses boundaries
The value of independent advice often lies in being able to see the same opportunity through several different lenses.
25+ yearsPermanent magnets, rare earths and critical materials
Technology builderCo-founder and co-inventor experience in industrial separation technology
Board & executiveCorporate leadership, governance and strategic advisory roles
International reachWork with industry, investors, governments, standards bodies and research organisations
Start a conversation
Working through a difficult materials, technology or investment question?
Strategic Materials Advisory undertakes selected advisory, due-diligence, study and board-level engagements internationally.