Mine or Be Mined
The hosts:
Lasse Köhler, EIFO
Johan Attby, Norrsken Evolve
What is this Ripple about?
As competition for critical minerals increasingly shapes industrial policy, trade relations, and geopolitical influence, Europe faces a strategic choice. Should it strengthen domestic extraction and processing capabilities, deepen partnerships with trusted allies to secure supply, or accelerate investment in technologies that reduce reliance on scarce materials altogether?
The answer will have significant implications for Europe's competitiveness, energy transition, defense capabilities, and technological sovereignty. This discussion explores where European venture capital and innovation ecosystems can create the greatest impact in a rapidly evolving global landscape.
Why this topic timely or urgent in 2026
Recent export controls on rare earth elements, growing competition among major powers to secure access to strategic resources, and the implementation of the EU's Critical Raw Materials Act have elevated critical minerals to a central geopolitical and economic priority.
As governments, corporations, and investors move to strengthen supply chain resilience, decisions made over the coming years will likely shape the balance of industrial competitiveness for decades. For European investors and founders, understanding where value will be created across the critical minerals value chain has become increasingly important.
Key questions or challenges being explored
Has Europe already fallen too far behind, or does a meaningful opportunity remain to build strategic positions in critical mineral supply chains?
What role should and can venture capital play in a sector traditionally characterized by long timelines, significant capital requirements, and political complexity. What role should sovereign wealth and philanthropic capital play in the capital stack?
Is the most attractive investment opportunity found within extraction, processing, and recycling infrastructure, or in technologies that reduce dependence on critical minerals altogether?
How can Europe balance strategic autonomy, economic competitiveness, and sustainability objectives when pursuing secure access to critical raw materials?
The key tension or debate at the heart of this discussion
Critical minerals are increasingly viewed as strategic assets underpinning Europe's competitiveness, energy transition, and economic security. Yet many opportunities in extraction, processing, and refining are capital-intensive, complex, and subject to long development cycles, making them a challenging fit for traditional venture capital.
Who would get the most value from attending this Ripple?
Investors deploying capital into climate technology, industrial technology, defence, advanced manufacturing, and energy transition sectors.
Founders and executives building businesses in batteries, advanced materials, industrial infrastructure, hardware, and deep technology.
Corporate leaders with significant exposure to critical mineral supply chains, including the energy, mobility, defence, and data infrastructure sectors.
Policymakers, strategists, and industry stakeholders working at the intersection of industrial policy, economic security, and technological competitiveness.