The Role of Gold in Technology: 5 High-Tech Uses

As geopolitical tensions intensify, gold’s (Au) value has surged to $5,230 per ounce. Trading not far from its peak of $5,600 hit in late January this year, the bullion price has rallied 20.8% YTD and more than 79% in the past year.

This increase in the price of the precious metal is driven by macro uncertainty, global instability, political friction, rising inflation, and depreciating fiat currency. Low-interest rates and a weak dollar are also boosting demand for this zero-yield, safe-haven asset.

Long viewed as a store of value, gold makes for a strategic asset in investment portfolios.

According to the “Gold as a Strategic Asset – 2026” report by the World Gold Council (WGC), the metal not only performs well during financial stress but also delivers equity-like returns over the long term, which makes gold’s inclusion in portfolios critical for diversification, as it helps reduce volatility and improve risk-adjusted returns.

More importantly, demand for gold comes from varied sources. Besides individuals and institutions utilizing the bullion as an investment and central banks accumulating gold to hedge against inflation and achieve greater financial autonomy, the yellow metal is widely used in modern technology.

So, while famous for jewelry and as a store of value, that’s not all gold is about. It is actually one of the most technologically useful metals on Earth. Its unique physical and chemical properties make it an essential component across a wide range of industries.

Gold usage in technology came in at 322.8 tonnes last year, down 1% from 326.2 tonnes in 2024, while total global gold demand topped 5,000 tonnes for the first time.

Technology demand for gold, as per the WGC’s report on Gold Demand Trends for 2025, “was stable despite disruption in the consumer electronics space, supported by continued growth in AI-related applications.”

The Council, however, has warned that higher prices could create headwinds for gold in tech moving forward, with the WGC noting:

“The rising gold price continues to pressure component manufacturers; fieldwork suggests increased R&D into thrifting and substitution of gold across all sectors.”

So, today, we’ll take a look at the key usage areas of gold, completely independent of its monetary value, that make it one of the high-tech metals on the planet.

Gold in Electronics: Why It’s the Industry Backbone

From your smartphone to laptop, tablet, computer, television, cars, and GPS, all kinds of different electronics we use in our daily lives contain a little bit of gold. It is used as a central conducting wire.

That’s because gold is a brilliant conductor of electricity. But while silver and copper also conduct electricity well, they corrode or form oxide layers, which disrupt electrical signals. This problem is solved by gold, which is corrosion-resistant, meaning it doesn’t degrade in challenging environments, ensuring the durability and reliability of electronic components in the long term.

Because of these properties, gold is used in high-purity forms in switches, relays, and high-end connectors in our smartphones, computers, and automotive systems, and as bonding wires in semiconductors in order to prevent oxidation. Having a gold plating ensures that even after years of use, the connection remains reliable.

Moreover, gold is a soft material that can easily be stretched without breaking. This high malleability, combined with its non-corrosive nature, allows gold to be applied in very thin layers to microelectronics, thus enabling the development of smaller, more robust devices.

While the high cost of gold has the market exploring alternatives like aluminum, the yellow metal continues to dominate premium applications due to its superior reliability. As a result, the electronics sector utilized 270.4 tonnes of gold in 2025, accounting for the vast majority of industrial gold demand.

While the LED sector saw a decline in gold demand, the metal’s usage grew in wireless applications in Q4. Meanwhile, sensing technologies in smartphones and wearables, and aggressive deployment of semiconductor technologies across AI, electric vehicle systems, and aerospace were emerging areas of gold demand in the electronics sector last year.

“This shift, which signals the start of a new technology-driven growth phase for the wireless industry, should provide greater resilience against fluctuations in the traditional consumer electronics market moving forward,” noted the WGC.

So, as wearable technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) continue to advance, the demand for gold in electronic circuitry should increase as well.

Aerospace Engineering: Why Gold is Essential for Space Missions

Gold plays a critical role in aerospace engineering due to its exceptional corrosion resistance, high electrical and thermal conductivity, and malleability.

Notably, the yellow metal is highly reflective of infrared (IR) radiation while allowing visible light to pass through. It can actually reflect up to 99% of infrared radiation, which is the energy primarily responsible for heat transfer in high-temperature environments. So, unlike other coatings which absorb or scatter heat, gold redirects it away from the object or person, thus dramatically reducing the thermal load on the protective equipment and keeping them cool.

All these properties make this metal indispensable in the aerospace sector, where it is used extensively in space vehicles, satellites, aircraft, and astronaut safety systems.

In the cold vacuum of space beyond Earth’s atmosphere, conventional technology struggles to operate because it has to withstand extremely harsh conditions. Gold plating, however, provides excellent protection against these challenges.

So, it is used to protect satellites and other spacecraft from extreme cold and heat while improving their appearance. A very thin film of gold is also applied to astronauts’ helmet visors to protect the astronauts’ eyes while allowing enough visible light for safe, clear vision.

Moreover, gold is used to coat the beryllium mirrors of the James Webb Space Telescope via a process known as vacuum vapor deposition to optimize their infrared reflectivity. Despite being the largest telescope in space, it contains less than 50 grams of gold.

Besides using gold-plated connectors, switches, and relay contacts in satellites and avionics for reliable, low-resistance electrical connections, the metal is used as a solid lubricant for mechanical moving parts that must operate in a vacuum, where organic lubricants would degrade. Its low shear strength reduces friction and minimizes surface wear.

Gold in Medicine: Nanotechnology and Cancer Treatment

Given that gold is very malleable, highly durable, chemically inert, and biocompatible, it has become integral to various medical technologies. This includes dental fillings, stents, pacemakers, rheumatoid arthritis treatments, medical implants, and diagnostic equipment.

The metal is now also helping us fight against cancer through nanoparticle therapy. At the nanoscale, which is one five-thousandth of a human hair, gold behaves very differently from its normal scale. For instance, it interacts with light in unique ways due to a phenomenon called surface plasmon resonance¹, which enables it to detect viruses and diseases, improve biosensors, and enhance medical imaging.

When it comes to cancer treatment, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are engineered to target specific cancer cells, allowing for more precise and efficient delivery of chemotherapy drugs while minimizing damage to healthy tissues, reducing side effects, and improving patient quality of life.

Gold-based drugs have been found to be slowing tumour growth in animals by 82%, according to a study² by RMIT University in Australia. They reported that gold compound Gold(I) was 27 times more effective at treating cervical cancer cells, 7.5 times more potent against fibrosarcoma cells, and 3.5 times more effective against prostate cancer in the lab than cisplatin, a standard platinum-based chemotherapy drug.

Just last summer, a team of researchers developed gold nanoparticles³ (AuNPs) conjugated with trastuzumab as a promising treatment for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

The extremely tiny particles of gold are also the core technology behind many rapid diagnostic tests, including pregnancy tests, malaria rapid tests, and blood glucose monitors for diabetes management. That’s because gold nanoparticles appear bright red due to their optical properties, allowing them to produce visible lines on a test strip and provide fast, reliable, and user-friendly results without the need for special laboratory equipment.

The extremely tiny particles of gold were also utilized⁴ to create rapid diagnostic tests to detect COVID-19.

Climate-Controlled Architecture

An interesting use case for the gold we use to make jewellery, ornaments, electronics, and spacecraft is reducing HVAC costs in skyscrapers. That’s right, gold is being used to create climate-controlled architecture by using it as a high-performance coating for glass.

Gold-tinted windows are designed to manage building temperatures by regulating solar radiation. Used in large-scale glazing, they allow for significant energy savings by keeping interiors cool in summer and warm in winter.

But how does gold do that? Well, the precious metal, as we noted above, is an exceptionally efficient reflector of infrared (IR) radiation. It actually reflects most of the near- and far-infrared light, and because infrared radiation carries heat, this high reflectivity helps reduce heat transfer through glass and stabilize interior temperatures.

To achieve this, gold is dispersed within the glass or thin layers of gold are applied to the glass to reflect solar radiation in hot weather. In winter, this coating acts in reverse, reflecting internal heat back into the building.

The gold film coating reduces glare from sunlight but can also be engineered to allow an acceptable amount of visible light to pass through. At the same time, it provides a unique aesthetic finish and corrosion-resistant covering to buildings.

A great example of gold’s usage in climate-controlled architecture is The Royal Bank Plaza in Toronto, which features more than 14,000 windows coated with a layer of 24-karat gold. Its glass windows are tinted with 2,500 oz of gold.

This isn’t a new development, though; gold has been used as a thin coating on glass for over half a century. Building on this concept, gold nanoparticles are now being used in solar panels to enhance their light-absorption and electrical-conduction efficiency.

Gold as a Catalyst in Green Energy and Fuel Cells

A lesser-known but very advanced use of gold is in green energy and fuel cells, which rely on unique physical and chemical properties that most metals simply don’t have.

While gold has been an integral part of the technology sector for several decades, the evolution of nanotechnology has led to gold finding even more promising applications, including clean energy.

One way gold aids clean technology is as a catalyst. Gold nanoparticles make excellent catalysts in the chemical and plastics industries. One of the earlier gold-based catalysts helped improve the synthesis of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), which is used to produce polyvinyl chloride (PVC) for industrial piping and as insulation for electrical cables.

An emerging use case for gold-based catalysts, meanwhile, is in fuel cells, which are environmentally friendly power units that convert the chemical energy of hydrogen or other fuels into electricity, with water as the only by-product. This renewable and sustainable energy source, however, requires catalysts that operate at low temperatures to accelerate chemical reactions.

While platinum is generally used as a catalyst, its high cost, limited availability, and poor long-term durability have researchers turning to more efficient and long-lasting alternatives, such as gold, which boasts remarkable stability and distinct electrochemical properties.

Interestingly, gold is chemically inert (i.e., unreactive), but it becomes highly reactive at the nanoscale, which makes tiny gold particles useful for air purification and emission control.

With gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) showing excellent catalytic activity at low temperatures, they hold immense scope⁵ for the production of clean electricity and for transitioning to a low-carbon economy.

High-Tech Uses of Gold Beyond Money

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Investing in Gold’s Technological Usage

If you want to invest in gold, you have a few different ways to do so, such as gold bars, gold coins, gold jewelry, gold futures contracts, and mutual funds or ETFs that own gold assets.

But if looking for a way to invest in gold’s usage as an industrial metal, then an attractive option would be Honeywell International (HON +1.16%), a publicly-traded company operating across electronics, aerospace, energy systems, healthcare technology, and industrial materials, all of which intersect with real functional uses of gold.

The company actually utilizes the precious metal as a functional material within its aerospace, materials, and other divisions.

Honeywall is currently enjoying stellar market performance, with its shares trading at $237.59, up 21.78% YTD. Just last week, HON surpassed $248 to hit a new ATH, driven by a strategic three-way corporate split, robust aerospace demand, and a strategic focus on automation.

As a result, its market cap has jumped past $151 billion, with an EPS (TTM) of 6.87 and a P/E (TTM) of 34.56. Honeywall pays a dividend yield of 2%.

As for company financials, earlier this year, Honeywell reported a 23% increase in orders led by double-digit growth in Aerospace Technologies and Energy and Sustainability Solutions (ESS), resulting in a 4% sequential increase in backlog.

Its operating cash flow for the full year 2025 was $6.1 billion, up 19%, while free cash flow jumped 20% to $5.1 billion. EPS was flat YoY at $7.57, and full-year adjusted EPS was $9.78, up 12% YoY.

During the fourth quarter, sales from the Aerospace Technologies segment grew 21% organically YoY, while the Defense and space segment saw a 10% increase due to sustained elevated global demand. Industrial Automation sales grew by 1% YoY, while Building Automation sales grew by 8% YoY. In contrast to growth across all these divisions, the Energy and Sustainability Solutions segment recorded a 7% YoY decrease in sales.

We concluded 2025 with strong results that exceeded the high end of our guidance for adjusted sales and adjusted EPS. Orders grew 23% stemming from robust demand in the Aerospace Technologies and Energy and Sustainability Solutions segments, including from our LNG acquisition that closed last year. As a result, we exited 2025 with a record backlog of over $37 billion which positions us well for 2026.”

– CEO Vimal Kapur

After spinning off Solstice Advanced Materials in early Q4 of 2025, which is now trading under the ticker ‘SOLS’, the company is now preparing to complete the separation of its automation and aerospace businesses in Q3 this year.

“We are confident Honeywell Aerospace is well-prepared to stand on its own,” Kapur said in a statement this week. “As we continue to advance our portfolio transformation, we are sharpening both companies’ strategic focus, enhancing organizational agility, and aligning capital allocation to drive growth and create long-term shareholder value.”

As a standalone company, Honeywell Aerospace will be divided into three business units: engines and power systems, electronic solutions, and control systems. The offshoot, which generated $17.4 bln in sales and $1.5 billion in net income last year, will continue to grow across business aviation, commercial air transport, and defense and space, with plans to bring new modifications, systems, upgrades, and retrofits to market.

Moreover, Honeywell has classified the Productivity Solutions and Services (PSS) and Warehouse and Workflow Solutions (WWS) businesses as held for sale, enabling it to focus on its core area of automation expertise to “position the company as a global automation leader.”

The company also shared its 2026 outlook, expecting sales of $38.8 billion to $39.8 billion, with organic sales growth of 3% to 6%. It forecasts adjusted earnings per share between $10.35 and $10.65, an increase of 6% to 9%, while expecting operating cash flow of $4.7 billion to $5 billion.

Latest Honeywell International (HON) Stock News and Developments

Conclusion

Gold has captivated humanity since ancient times, and even today, it remains a symbol of wealth and luxury. But its beauty and rarity alone don’t make it so valuable; in fact, these qualities overshadow precious metals’ far more important in modern technology, where it is driving cutting-edge scientific advancements due to a combination of remarkable properties.

Thanks to the precious metal’s superior conductivity, malleability, biocompatibility, corrosion resistance, nanoscale behavior, and reflective qualities, gold has become an essential element in many critical applications. From ensuring reliable electrical connections to protecting spacecraft from extreme temperatures, enabling breakthroughs in diagnostics, and contributing to more efficient, sustainable systems, gold plays a vital across a wide range of sectors.

As technology continues to evolve, the demand for gold is likely to remain strong. In this sense, gold is not just a hedge against economic uncertainty but also a foundational material shaping the future of science, engineering, and global innovation.

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References

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