Germanium

Germanium is an element critical in the construction of Kearny Fuchida drives and is an expensive and rare commodity.

Concerning the electronic attributes, it is a half-metal and thusly useful in many electronic applications as a semiconductor. Early solid state electronics were based on germanium.

The planet Alphard, the capital of the Marian Hegemony, has huge resources of germanium and is the source of the planet's wealth.