Why Critical Raw Materials Are Key to Europe’s Future

Critical raw materials are everywhere — in your phone, in solar panels, in wind turbines, and in the batteries that power the energy transition. But where do these materials come from? Why does Europe depend so heavily on them? And how can we build more secure, sustainable, and diversified supply chains? 

In this episode of Invested by Europe, Lerato Kotelo, critical raw materials specialist at the European Investment Bank, explains: 

• What is a critical or strategic raw material 
• Why technologies like batteries, solar panels and wind turbines depend on them 
• How Europe can diversify its supply and reduce dependence on fossil 
• Why recycling and innovation are so important 
• How do new approaches like extracting lithium from geothermal brines work 
• How responsible partnerships with global producers can create win‑win outcomes 

Lerato also shares insights on Europe’s mining history, today’s rapidly changing extraction technologies, and how innovation is making mining safer, more efficient, and more sustainable. 

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