Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
NTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC RESEARCH AND STUDIES IN ENGINEERING, PROF. DR. COŞKUN ÖZALP,PROF. DR. SELAHATTIN BARDAK, Editör, Serüven, Ankara, ss.15-25, 2025
Global population growth, economic expansion in developing countries, advancements in manufacturing production technologies, and shifts in national policies have all contributed to a growing demand for non-energy mineral raw materials in recent years—both in terms of total quantity and the diversity of minerals used (https://www.ituvakif.org.tr). Today, developing countries face challenges in accessing and processing the technologies and raw materials used especially in the manufacturing industry, while developed countries struggle to import the raw materials that are either unavailable or insufficient within their own borders to further strengthen their economies. The increased demand for raw materials driven by countries experiencing rapid economic growth, China’s export restrictions on Rare Earth Elements, and regional cold/hot conflicts have led to “physical supply” issues in raw materials provided by certain countries—issues that go beyond simple price competition. T he world’s leading economic and technological power centers are showing increasing interest in critical minerals required for the transition to clean energy. For example, the demand for minerals such as rare earth elements for catalysts and high-performance permanent magnets, lithium for batteries, and aluminum for packaging, among others, is expected to continue rising rapidly. Therefore, developed countries such as the USA, EU, and China have already prepared critical mineral strategies for the next 20, 50, even 100 years. T hese strategic plans detail the policies regarding the exploration of these minerals around the world, their extraction, and the establishment of supply chains. The European Union, for example, defined its strategy up to 2050 with the critical raw materials action plan it prepared in the early 2000s.