Chair Choi Yoon-beom of Korea Zinc attended the World Economic Forum (WEF, Davos Forum) in Davos, Switzerland, and presented the future direction of the global critical mineral supply chain.

According to Korea Zinc on the 25th, Chair Choi spoke as a presenter in the session "Strategic partnerships and investment in critical minerals" at the Davos Forum held from the 19th to the 23rd.

Choi Yoon-beom, chair of Korea Zinc, attends the Davos Forum from the 19th to the 23rd and presents the future direction of the global critical minerals supply chain. Choi speaks on the 21st as a speaker in the strategic partnerships and investment session in the critical minerals sector. /Courtesy of Korea Zinc

Chair Choi said, "Next-generation industries such as artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, advanced defense technology, and clean energy infrastructure all share a common foundation: stable access to critical minerals," and noted, "However, the global critical mineral supply chain has developed structural vulnerabilities as production and refining capacity have been concentrated in specific regions for decades."

Chair Choi pointed to time as the essential constraint in supply chain issues and emphasized the importance of building a long-term integrated system. Choi explained that while establishing a supply chain requires a long period of more than 10 years, policies and market structures move according to short-term price and budget logic, creating a structural gap.

Chair Choi said, "Unlike consumer-centric industries, the critical minerals and energy infrastructure sectors are capital-intensive and have long development timelines," and added, "Without long-term demand visibility, even the most promising projects are difficult to realize." Choi then proposed the need to design partnerships based on long-term demand of more than 10 years, such as "offtake," along with building an integrated industrial system encompassing mining, processing, refining, recycling, energy, and logistics.

At the Davos Forum, Chair Choi also exchanged views with Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), on building critical mineral supply chains and consolidation between policy and industry. He also met with key figures from corporations and governments in countries including the United States, Europe, and Asia to discuss potential cooperation in various fields such as supply chains, AI, and secondary batteries.

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