Pax Silica, a new U.S.-led initiative, has been launched to strengthen the global silicon supply chain and support innovation in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The program brings together partners from Japan, Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Israel, United Arab Emirates, and Australia.
The inaugural Pax Silica Summit convened representatives from these countries, which collectively host leading companies and investors central to the AI supply chain. According to organizers, the initiative is designed to reduce reliance on single sources for critical materials and protect capabilities vital to AI development.
The statement released by the organizers explains: "Rooted in deep cooperation with trusted allies, Pax Silica aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence, and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale."
Participants have identified secure supply chains and resilient infrastructure as essential components for national power and economic growth. The initiative responds to increased partner interest in closer economic ties with the United States; recognition of AI's transformative role in long-term prosperity; a shared need for trustworthy systems; concerns over dependency risks; and an emphasis on fair market practices alongside coordinated policies for protecting sensitive technologies.
Organizers describe this moment as transformational for the world economy due to AI's influence across industries. Economic value is expected to increasingly depend on all aspects of the global AI supply chain—including energy resources, critical minerals like silica (the basis for silicon), semiconductors, advanced manufacturing processes, technological hardware, infrastructure investments, and emerging markets.
The name “Pax Silica” references both Latin concepts of peace and stability (“pax”)—as seen in terms such as Pax Americana—and “silica,” which is refined into silicon used in computer chips fundamental for AI.
According to officials: "The United States is organizing a coalition of countries around the principle of building a secure, resilient, and innovation-driven ecosystem across the entire global technology supply chain—from critical minerals and energy inputs to advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, AI infrastructure, and logistics."
Pax Silica will focus on securing various segments of technology supply chains such as software platforms; frontier foundation models; information connectivity infrastructure; compute capacity; semiconductor design through packaging; transportation logistics; mineral refining; processing operations; energy generation; and grid management.
Countries participating affirmed their intention to:
- Pursue joint projects addressing vulnerabilities in priority sectors including critical minerals extraction/refining/processing;
- Engage in co-investment opportunities;
- Protect sensitive technologies from undue foreign access or control;
- Build trusted ecosystems covering ICT systems (including fiber-optic cables), data centers foundational models/applications.
To implement summit outcomes at operational levels globally Under Secretary Helberg has directed U.S. diplomats both domestically in Washington D.C., as well as abroad via overseas missions—to identify relevant infrastructure projects while coordinating broader economic security efforts within their jurisdictions.
