Defense vs. Green Transition: The Battle for Critical Raw Materials Intensifies

The request for Military Autonomy and Defense, alongside the Technological Transition—dominated by Artificial Intelligence—as well arsenic the Green Transition, which remains embedded successful the broader geopolitical landscape, is driving profound shifts successful some the accumulation and request of captious earthy materials. As noted by N. Arvanitidis, PhD Economic Geologist and subordinate of the SCRREEN CRM Expert Network, “we are entering a caller epoch of contention for mineral earthy materials.”

The competing request betwixt the Energy Transition (green growth) and Technological–Defense Autonomy (digital and subject sectors) constitutes the defining geopolitical and economical situation of the decade. In Greece, the “National Program for the Exploration of Critical Raw Materials (CRMs)” for the play 2025–2028 is presently underway.

Three cardinal fronts

These request streams are not complementary but alternatively competing, placing aggravated unit connected already fragile supply chains for captious earthy materials. It is worth noting that, of the 12 captious earthy materials identified arsenic indispensable for NATO, 7 are controlled by China. At the aforesaid time, the astir two cardinal mobile phones sold annually necessitate astir 2,000 tonnes of uncommon world metals.

The contention for captious earthy materials is present unfolding crossed three main fronts: the greenish transition, technology, and defense. The greenish transition was the archetypal to thrust a surge successful request for elements such arsenic neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium. Rapid technological demand—primarily driven by AI systems—along with the increasing propulsion for subject autonomy, exemplified by systems such arsenic Tomahawk missiles and F-35 combatant jets, is present generating an further and arsenic aggravated furniture of demand.