Critical Minerals

Critical raw materials are at the centre of geopolitical competition. This is enabled by their unparalleled importance in supporting vital functions of society and an overwhelming concentration of supply chain capabilities in a small number of countries. Critical materials and related energy, digital and defence technologies are weaponized by governments to exert geopolitical influence and achieve foreign policy goals.

The HCSS Critical Materials Programme analyses critical supply chains, anticipates potential disruptions affecting European governments and industry, and develops solutions to strengthen Europe’s mineral security, both by bolstering domestic industrial capabilities and promoting reliable, responsible international partnerships.

HCSS CRM Tracking Application (CARTA)

Critical Raw Materials (CRM) are used across the vital sectors of the global economy and society including clean energy, digital technology, healthcare, defence and space. This HCSS Dashboard provides information about the geographical spread of resources, reserves, extraction and processing capabilities for a wide range of raw materials. The dashboard displays the materials included in the 2023 EU Critical Raw Materials list as well as other non-energy and non-animal raw materials that are important for the above-mentioned sectors.

CARTA gives an geographical overview of raw materials. Clicking a data point on the map displays the site name, site type (mine or processing), and more information.

The dashboard is based on publicly available data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) from 2017 and 2011 as well as the EDGI Minerals4EU database from 2019. This iteration was developed in 2025.

This dashboard is a work in progress and we are happy to receive your feedback. If you find any inconsistencies or missing information, please reach out to us at info@hcss.nl.

Latest Research

Catch up on our latest research in the field of critical raw materials.

ARES Group | Defence supply chain monitoring: Leveraging geopolitical challenges for sustainability gains

Saudi Arabia’s Mineral Gambit: What the EU Can Learn from Vision 2030

Win-win Partnerships for Critical Raw Materials: Advancing Europe-West Africa Cooperation

HCSS Annual Report 2025

HCSS Draghi Revisited Report Series | Expert Commentary

Annales des Mines | The current state of the European Union’s dependency and its policies

Securing Europe’s Clean Tech Future: Supporting Industry Stockpiles of Critical Raw Materials in the Netherlands

The Arctic Security Conference 2025: Managing Polarisation and Fragmentation

About the HCSS Critical Minerals programme

The HCSS Critical Minerals programme focuses on three research areas:

Mineral supply chain risk assessments

The demand for minerals is swiftly increasing and supply chains are at risk of disruption. The supply of raw and processed minerals is concentrated in a few countries and dominated by China. A supply chain disruption can lead to sharp price increases and shortages, increasing costs and lead times for key inputs used by European strategic sectors. This weakens the competitiveness of automotives, renewable energy, defence and digital industries. It also creates more uncertainty for Europe’s ability to achieve its climate neutrality, digital and strategic autonomy ambitions. HCSS supports public institutions and private companies to identify and anticipate vulnerabilities in their supply chains and mitigate the risk of disruption.

Strengthening Europe’s mineral security

The tense geopolitical landscape and the trend toward weaponised dependencies have brought urgency for governments all over the world, including the EU, to develop supply security strategies. This requires a dual approach. Bolstering domestic industrial capabilities enhances resilience by expanding processing and refining capacity, and supports innovation. Reliable and responsible international partnerships diversify sources, stabilise access to strategic inputs, and support higher standards of transparency and environmental and social due diligence. HCSS supports these goals by identifying and analysing challenges and opportunities to strengthen Europe’s position within global supply chains.

Data-driven analysis of mineral supply chains

Mineral markets are inherently complex considering that they span over many different countries and involve thousands of actors. The HCSS Datalab develops data visualization and analysis tools to support public and private actors in decision-making regarding mineral supply chains.

The DOMINO dashboard (the Dutch Observer for Materials Intelligence and Operations) is a publicly available tool that provides information about the geographical spread of resources, reserves, extraction and processing capabilities for a wide range of raw materials.

DOMINO Dashboard