• Author Nathan Alan-Lee says drone makers depend on gallium, germanium, rare earths, cobalt and graphite, with refining heavily concentrated in China.
  • The EU named 46 Strategic Projects, 30 on refining and recycling, aiming for 40% of its processing needs by 2030.
  • He cites Northvolt, reportedly hit by Chinese graphite export licensing from 2020, though its impact on the collapse was never fully determined.