Critical Minerals

Critical minerals are at the center of geopolitical tensions. This is enabled by their unparalleled importance in supporting vital functions of society. Electric cars require graphite and lithium, fighter jets require silicon and cobalt, semiconductors require gallium and germanium, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners require rare earth elements. Growing geopolitical competition as well as increasing pressure on global value chains have caused a perfect storm for the multilateral world order, placing critical minerals supply security under stress.

The HCSS Critical Minerals programme is focused on identifying challenges and opportunities to strengthen European mineral security, both in terms of domestic industrial capabilities and international partnerships with trustworthy suppliers.

HCSS Critical Raw Materials Dashboard

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.

Hovering over the categories under ‘Development Status’ shows definitions, while hovering over a data point on the map gives information about site name, mineral, related applications and source.

The dashboard is based on publicly available data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) from 2017 and 2011. This iteration was developed in 2023. 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.

The National Raw Materials Strategy of the Dutch government, which aims to increase the security of supply of critical raw materials in the medium to long term, refers to three HCSS reports:

Medical Scarcity: QUICK TOPIC REPORT

Futures for Copper

Sustainability: Challenges and Trends

Food Security

Samenwerken aan Zeldzame Aarden

Op weg naar een Grondstoffenstrategie

Sustainability in a Multipolar World

Issue Brief No. 4 The Resource Scarcity Nexus: Challenges for the 21st Century

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 but supply chains are at risk of disruption. The supply of raw and processed minerals is concentrated in a few countries and dominated by China. The global minerals industry has been associated with problematic environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices. A supply chain disruption could lead to sharp increases in mineral prices, impacting industrial competitiveness and the ability of vital sectors to perform their activities. HCSS supports public institutions and private companies to identify vulnerabilities in their supply chains and mitigate the risk of disruption.

Mapping and advancing European capabilities in vital sectors

The tense geopolitical landscape and the trend toward weaponised dependencies have brought urgency for governments all over the world, including the EU, to re-shore industrial capabilities in vital sectors. The EU’s central legislation, the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), comprises the following ambitions: by 2030, 10% of the EU’s demand of minerals should be extracted domestically; 40% of it processed domestically; and 25% recycled. This is paired with sector-specific policies to achieve a better position in the manufacturing of digital, energy and defence technologies. HCSS can support 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 Critical Raw Materials dashboard 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.

CRM Dashboard