<p>Critical raw materials are everywhere — in your phone, in solar panels, in wind turbines, and in the batteries that power the energy transition. But where do these materials come from? Why does Europe depend so heavily on them? And how can we build more secure, sustainable, and diversified supply chains?&nbsp;</p><p>In this episode of&nbsp;<em>Invested by Europe</em>, Lerato&nbsp;Kotelo, critical raw materials specialist at the European Investment Bank, explains:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>What&nbsp;is&nbsp;a critical or strategic raw material&nbsp;</li><li>Why technologies like batteries, solar panels and wind turbines depend on them&nbsp;</li><li>How Europe can diversify&nbsp;its&nbsp;supply and reduce dependence on fossil&nbsp;</li><li>Why&nbsp;recycling and innovation&nbsp;are so important&nbsp;</li><li>How do new approaches like extracting lithium from geothermal brines&nbsp;work&nbsp;</li><li>How responsible partnerships with global producers can create win‑win outcomes&nbsp;</li></ul><p>Lerato also shares insights on Europe’s mining history, today’s rapidly changing extraction technologies, and how innovation is making mining safer, more efficient, and more sustainable.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>