Vulnerable
Nulkes thinks the state of the Dutch defense is reasonably good at the moment. The deputy director Michel Rademakers of the Center for Strategic Studies in The Hague agrees. ‘The Netherlands, for example, has a good high-tech industry. But Rademakers also has a side note: “There aren’t many manufacturers here that make original equipment. We have to go to America for that.” This makes us vulnerable because if they themselves need that equipment, one day they could use it against us.’
Listen to the whole podcast | The crucial role of critical raw materials for defense
These critical raw materials encompass quite a broad category. According to Rademakers, this is about thirty metals – including lithium, cobalt, gold and rare earths – needed for both climate transition and defense. “An F-35 fighter jet already contains 400 kilos of critical material from China,” explains Rademakers.
‘Stay friends’
Reliance on materials from countries such as China, Japan, Congo and Northern Europe makes the Netherlands vulnerable. Nulkes thus foresees a “gigantic problem that will not be solved for the next ten years”. Making cleaner technologies yourself is proving difficult and a reaction time is needed before scaling can happen, says the Dutch industry director for defense and security. “Until we can do that, we must remain friends with China. If they behave the same way as Russia, then it’s very bad.”
“We must remain friends with China.”
But there are other ways to meet the need for critical raw materials as well, thinks Rademakers. For example, we can focus on the reuse of materials: ‘With aluminum this is already done for 90 percent and for steel for three quarters. You could use it across the board,’ says the HCSS deputy director. ‘Also, use material that has already been discarded.’
‘Not in my backyard’
Furthermore, Nulkes believes that Europe should be able to bring part of the value chain back to its territory. ‘But then we have to get rid of the ‘not in my backyard’ dogma. This means that you would also have to work on mining and refining, for example,” says Nulkes. Rademakers also sees that having access to strategic raw materials is a precondition for being strategically autonomous.
According to Rademakers, there are several solutions to become strategically more independent: ‘In the short term, one could think of entering into trade agreements and concluding bilateral agreements. This allows for faster access to raw materials.’ Another solution is to set up refining plants in other parts of the world, thinks Rademakers. “That way you reduce your reliance on refining capacity from China, for example, and get yourself a chunk of the manufacturing capacity,” says Rademakers.
Government
Both Rademakers and Nulkes agree that it’s important to become less dependent on other countries for critical raw materials. ‘It is important to think about this at a European level. Otherwise you may have to choose at some point whether the raw materials will be used by defense or in hospitals,’ fears Rademakers. “You really need the government to make this assessment.”