Documentary screening and panel discussion: "Lithium Rising"
The event is fully booked!
From the moment the smartphone alarm wakes us up in the morning, we begin our day relying on the lithium battery. From mundane living to lifesaving realities, lithium-powered devices get us through the day.
Yet, access to the minerals that power a battery has become a vital geopolitical, economic, and social concern. Where do the lithium, the nickel, and the cobalt come from? Who controls the supply chains? And who is impacted by the demand?
Filmed across five continents, Lithium Rising —directed by Samuel George of the Bertelsmann Foundation— takes you straight to the frontlines: the lithium flats of South America, cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, nickel smelters in Indonesia, super factories in Northern France, and recycling plants in rural Georgia.
Growing concerns about dependence on critical materials – including at defence institutions – have underscored the strong desire of the US to secure access to Critical Raw Materials not being controlled by China, that has already upheld exports as part of the unfolding trade war.
After the screening, our expert panel will dive into the urgent need to strengthen resource security and economic resilience, the vulnerabilities in supply chains, and the strategic importance of securing critical raw materials for defence technologies.
Key discussion points will include:
- What role do geopolitical hotspots as Greenland and Ukraine play in resource policies of the EU?
- What do critical minerals mean for military mobility and striking power?
- Is European dependency on Chinese critical minerals a threat to NATO capabilities?
- How do the EU and NATO complement or compete in terms of strategic autonomy and industrial policy?
This public event is part of a series of pre-summit sessions leading up to the NATO Summit in The Hague (24–25 June 2025). On 28 May, we zoom in on how critical raw materials underpin both Europe’s economic continuity and military mobility.
This event is organised in close cooperation with the Bertelsmann Foundation Documentaries.
Programme
- 15.00 - 15:30 Registration
- 15:30 – 16:40 Screening of the film
- 16.45 - 18:00 Panel discussion
- Samuel George, Director, Bertelsmann Foundation Documentaries
- Elmer Rietveld, Senior advisor and Critical Raw Materials specialist, TNO
- Louise van Schaik, Head of EU & Global Affairs Unit, Clingendael Institute
- Karen van Loon, Research Fellow for Security and Defence, Clingendael Institute
