Strategic Minerals

Realities, Actors, and Trends

Abstract

Strategic minerals are analyzed as the central axis of the global economy and geoeconomics in the twenty-first century. Beyond their economic value, these resources are strategic for national security, energy transition, digitalization and technological competition. In the current stage of industrialization – marked by artificial intelligence, automation and clean energy – there is an undeniable increase in dependence on critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper and rare earths, whose supply chains are fragile and highly concentrated. In this regard, the United States and the European Union are seeking to ensure access to and strengthen the processing of these minerals to counteract China’s supremacy in refining. For its part, the Global South —particularly Africa and Latin America— emerges as a key player in the redefinition of the international geoeconomic balance. In this trend, technological innovation, recycling and multilateral cooperation are determining factors in building resilient supply chains in the context of growing geo-economic rivalry.