Analysis of Circular Economy Research and Innovation (R&I) intensity for critical products in the supply chains of strategic technologies.

Baldassarre, B.; Buesa Olavarrieta, A.; Albizzati, P. F.; Jakimow-Canton, M.; Saveyn, H.; Carrera, S.

Abstract

To develop renewable energy, digital, space and defence technologies, the European Union (EU) needs access to critical raw materials of which a large share is currently imported from third countries. To mitigate the risk of supply disruptions, the Critical Raw Materials Act proposes to diversify sources of imports, while increasing domestic extraction, processing, and recycling. The circular economy is therefore positioned as a key element of the EU strategy to deploy strategic technologies for navigating the sustainability transition in a complex geopolitical landscape. In line with this position, the present study analyses the intensity of circular economy research and innovation (R&I) in the supply chains of strategic technologies. The focus is placed on four critical products containing raw materials having high supply risks: lithium-ion battery cells; neodymium-iron-boron permanent magnets; photovoltaic cells; hydrogen electrolysers and fuel-cells. The R&I analysis is based on the identification of scientific articles, patents, and innovation projects on the subject, with a global scope, in the period between 2014 and 2022. The analysis is enriched by connecting to parallel work on the subject, conducted by Joint Research Centre (JRC) as well as academic institutions, industry, and policy stakeholders. This is functional to provide insight into: where circularity efforts R&I have been placed in terms of different products and supply chains; which countries are undertaking these efforts; how the EU is positioned and how much funding was deployed so far; what are the current gaps and trends going forward. Main insights include the following: 1) circularity R&I for critical products is not balanced, with a prominent focus placed on Li-ion cells on a global level 2) the EU has followed this trend in terms of number of innovation projects and public spending; 3) Next to EU efforts, China and the USA focus intensely on circular economy R&I as well. This study contributes with evidence to advance scientific research and policymaking on the role of a circular economy to achieve open strategic autonomy and climate neutrality in the EU.

Citation

Baldassarre, B., Buesa Olavarrieta, A., Albizzati, P. F., Jakimow-Canton, M., Saveyn, H., & Carrera, S. (2023). Analysis of Circular Economy Research and Innovation (R&I) intensity for critical products in the supply chains of strategic technologies. European Commission

• Report Type: Policy Document
• Online Publication Date: Sep 15, 2023
• Publication Date: Sep 15, 2023
• Deposit Date: Apr 11, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 12, 2024
• ISBN: 9789268075296
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.2760/582527
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2382357
• Related Public URLs: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC134253