Together for Resilience – Securing Critical Raw Materials

The supply of raw materials threatens to become the Achilles' heel of the European economy. In a joint position paper, the "Alliance for the Future of Industry" explains the fields of action and instruments needed to counteract this challenge.

How can Germany continue to produce securely, resiliently and competitively in the future? This question was the focus of a high-level discussion of the "Alliance for the Future of Industry" (BZdI) with German Minister for Economic Affairs Katherina Reiche on 25 November in Berlin. Senior representatives of the 19 alliance members – industry and employer associations, including the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as trade unions and the German Trade Union Confederation – attended the meeting at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs.

The shared goal of the BZdI partners is to shape the future of industry in challenging times and strengthen its competitiveness. In addition to reducing bureaucracy, they identified the fields of energy prices, innovation policies, and securing raw materials as essential for Germany as an industrial location.

As a result, the alliance partners primarily agreed on a joint position paper to secure critical raw materials, addressing several concrete fields of action. "Raw materials policy is a matter of national resilience today," emphasised Economic Affairs Minister Reiche. "Those who wish to secure industrial strength need reliable, diversified, and sustainable sources of raw materials." The new paper sends "an important signal," Reiche continued: "Politics, business, and social partners must now act together to make Germany's supply future-proof."

Implement Existing Instruments

Under the heading "Economic Security and Resilience as the Foundation of a Viable Industry," the BZdI partners highlight how important it is to reduce dependencies and strengthen value creation in Germany by broadening sources of supply, expanding domestic production, processing capacities, and recycling of critical raw materials.

The paper calls for consistent implementation of existing political tools – such as the EU Critical Raw Materials Act – rapid deployment of new instruments like the Raw Materials Fund, significant acceleration of planning and approval procedures, creating competitive investment conditions, and reducing bureaucracy.

Deepen Partnerships

International partnerships should also be deepened through long-term supply contracts, investments in resource-rich countries, closer cooperation in refining, infrastructure, and technology, and the use of free trade agreements, Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships (CTIP), and Global Gateway initiatives.

Another focus lies in an ambitious circular economy, which should be advanced through market-based incentives, promotion of recycling technologies, and research into substitution and efficient use of raw materials. Lastly, the paper envisages closer collaboration between government, industry, and research institutions, including joint governance structures, task forces, and roadmaps with measures for diversification, risk minimisation, and competitiveness enhancement.

The position paper is available for download on the Alliance for the Future of Industry website (only available in German).