In their efforts to develop low-carbon technologies, companies are increasingly reliant on critical raw materials (CRMs). CRMs are essential for these innovative technologies, often because they possess characteristics that are difficult to substitute with other raw materials. At the same time, their availability is frequently concentrated in only a few countries, which heightens geopolitical dependencies, or supply may struggle to meet growing demand, as in cases where a CRM is a by-product of other raw materials.

Last month, the Council of the European Union adopted the Critical Raw Materials Act, which aims to increase and diversify the EU's reserves of critical raw materials, enhance circularity (including recycling), and support research and innovation in resource efficiency and the development of substitutes.

Does this mean that the issue of critical raw materials will soon be "resolved," at least in Europe? Unfortunately, the challenges are numerous and complex, and ongoing research is required to fully understand what criticality in raw materials truly entails.

In a recent open-access article published in *Joule*, a team of international experts in the field of critical raw materials, led by Anthony Ku, outlined three "Grand Challenges" to help prioritise research efforts for the next 5 to 10 years:

Expand the visibility of material criticality downstream.

Developing a rigorous understanding of criticality dynamics.

Understanding the effects of policy interventions on supply risk.

The article provides examples of available tools and potential research directions to address these challenges.

It highlights the importance of accessible, high-quality data that can be shared without compromising a company's competitive edge. Natural language processing, data sharing through cryptographic tools, and large language models are promising techniques to address these aspects. However, current advancements in artificial intelligence reveal their limitations, which are well outlined by Anthony Ku.

With IRTC (International Round Table on Materials Criticality), of which WeLOOP is a partner, untangling the complexity of raw material criticality is a key objective, alongside sharing knowledge with relevant stakeholders, including researchers, policymakers, and businesses that produce or rely on critical raw materials for their products and services. Feel free to join this conversation!

IRTC se compose d’experts internationaux de premier plan en matière de criticité des matériaux qui discutent des différentes perspectives et exigences des évaluations de la criticité, des impacts de la criticité et des moyens de l’atténuer.

The project bridges academic expertise, industrial practice, and policy development, engaging with stakeholders from around the globe.

---