Shortages of Strategic Metals and Pharmaceutical Chemistry: From Problems to Solutions
Abstract
Smartphones, computers, electric and hybrid cars, solar panels, wind turbines, military and space technologies, electronics, the pharmaceutical industry, medical imaging… Modern life is entirely dependent on rare and precious metals. The extraction and processing of these metals are a source of irreversible ecological and environmental disasters. Access to these metals also represents a major strategic challenge for countries like France, where they are rare or even nonexistent. In a concerning geopolitical and economic context, it is important to address several key questions: What are the recycling solutions for these overconsumed metals? Can recycling save us? How can we reduce our consumption of these metals in key sectors, such as healthcare? How can we reduce our environmental footprint when using these metals? How can we limit our dependence on metals and minerals? Answers will be provided using concrete examples drawn from recent innovations in the production of medications that rely on a highly strategic resource: palladium.
This lecture will be followed by a seminar presented by Guillaume Pitron, a research associate at IRIS, a specialist in critical raw materials, a journalist, a filmmaker, and an author. His seminar will focus on “The War Over Strategic Metals.”