Bangkok, 28 May 2024: ERIA held the 1st working group meeting on the Supply Chain of Critical Minerals – Economic and Policy Analysis in Bangkok, Thailand. The meeting brought together various professors, researchers, and experts on critical minerals to share their initial findings and hypotheses on ongoing research projects.

Dr Han Phoumin, Senior Energy Economist of ERIA and the project team leader, delivered the opening remarks. He emphasised that critical minerals are increasingly important for achieving net zero, but ensuring the security of the supply chain, particularly in ASEAN, is crucial. The study's results will benefit the region by informing policy debates and practices related to energy transitions, sustainable mining, production and refining, and the recycling of rare earth elements (REE) along the supply chain.

Associate Professor Rabindra Nepal from the University of Wollongong, who co-led the project, also gave opening remarks, highlighting the importance of this study and its implications for ASEAN's energy transition journey.

The working group members who joined in person included Dr Han Phoumin (ERIA), Prof Farhad Taghizadeh-Hesary (Tokai University), Dr Bhupendra Kumar Singh (Confederation of Indian Industry - CII), Associate Professor Gopal Sarangi (TERI School of Advanced Studies), and Muhammad Indra al Irsyad (National Research and Innovation Agency, Indonesia).

Members who participated online included:

1. Anita Prakash (ERIA)
2. Prof Rabindra Nepal (University of Wollongong)
3. Prof Xunpeng Shi (University of Technology Sydney)
4. Prof Yanrui Wu (University of Western Australia)
5. Dr George Grozev
6. Associate Professor Joaquin Vespignani (University of Tasmania)
7. Dr Rohan Best (Macquarie University)
8. Prof Giray Gozgor (University of Bradford)
9. Dr Vlado Vivoda (University of Queensland)
10. Prof Russell Smyth (Monash University)
11. Dr Muhammad Abubakr Naeem (UAE University)
12. Associate Professor Aviral Tiwari (Indian Institute of Management)
13. Associate Professor Alex Acheampong (Bond University)
14. Muhammad Saladin Islami (Murdoch University)
15. Associate Professor Young Ho Chang (Singapore University of Social Sciences)
16. David Havyatt (University of Wollongong)
17. Dr Anupama Sen (University of Oxford)
18. Prof Tooraj Jamasb (Copenhagen Business School and Copenhagen School of Energy Infrastructure)

The meeting provided a platform for valuable exchanges of ideas and research progress, setting the stage for further collaboration and advancements in the study of critical minerals' supply chains.