The fourteenth edition of The Innovation Platform features leading insights in the fields of critical raw materials, renewable energy, electric vehicles, astrophysics, environmental science, and more.
As the energy transition accelerates and the demand for batteries to power green technologies and electric vehicles is ever increasing, the need for strong global supply chains for critical raw materials is clearer than ever. Traditionally, however, the production of critical raw materials has been limited to very few countries, with most of the world heavily relying on imports. This is particularly true for Europe, which has been predominantly import dependent for many years. In a bid to strengthen Europe’s critical raw materials supply chain, the European Commission launched the Critical Raw Materials Act in March of this year. The aim of the Act is to ensure EU access to a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials, enabling Europe to meet its 2030 climate and digital objectives.
Critical Raw Materials
Discussing the Critical Raw Materials Act in greater detail and the impact it is expected to have on Europe’s critical mineral and metal supply chains, our European Battery Metals section starts with a discussion from Dr Evi Petavratzi and Eimear Deady from the British Geological Survey. They offer their perspective on Europe’s critical raw material potential and their predictions for its future. Elsewhere in this section, we also have a rundown of this year’s EIT Raw Materials Summit, which held discussions on major innovations, policy initiatives, and the challenges and opportunities facing the raw materials sector.
Battery Metals Focus
Taking a look at battery metals supply chains elsewhere in the world, we also have extensive focuses on Australia, North America, South America and Africa, as well as specific insights into lithium and rare earth elements. In our Australia focus, the Australian Battery Society’s Neeraj Sharma discusses the issues surrounding supply chains, manufacturing and recycling approaches in Australia for various battery chemistries. Focusing on Canada’s battery supply chain, George Pirie, Minister of Mines of Ontario, explains how Ontario has undergone a major transformation in recent years to become a leading contributor to the global electric vehicle battery supply chain. Equally, in our North American focus, we hear from Jonathan Lafontaine, Geologist and Mining Exploration Monitor for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests, Québec, and Sean Kirby, Executive Director of the Mining Association of Nova Scotia.
Assessing the energy landscape
Elsewhere in the issue, we have an extensive Energy section featuring focuses on Sustainable Energy, Hydrogen, Helium, and Nuclear Energy. This includes insightful commentary from Dries Acke, Policy Director at SolarPower Europe, who discusses the potential of solar power as a solution to the devastating drought facing much of Europe. Additionally, Loic Hares, Energy Lead at Digital Catapult, discusses how the digitalisation of the energy system will be key to enabling the hydrogen economy of the future. We also take a look at the subject of geothermal energy as Sanjeev Kumar, Head of Policy at the European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC), outlines how geothermal energy provides the foundation for a full and inclusive transition away from the EU’s fossil-dominated energy system.
Expert scientific insights
Amongst the aforementioned topics, we also have focuses on subjects including physics, space, materials science, and the environment. Here, you will find updates on the LHCb experiment at CERN; discussions surrounding the use of graphene in healthcare applications; a look at the European Commission’s strategies to strengthen Europe’s bioeconomy; and much more.
I hope you find this edition an enjoyable read, and I welcome your comments and suggestions for future issues.
Georgie Purcell
Editor
The Innovation Platform
