Book Launch: "The Cocaine of Industry" – Future Metals and the Future of Raw Material Security
Last night, the Berlin Museum of Technology provided the perfect setting for a special event. The Noble Family had reserved an exclusive area for the book launch of “The Cocaine of Industry”. The two authors presented their work to an audience of investors, precious metals dealers, journalists, and industry experts. Interest was high—not only in signed copies, but also in the strategic metals that were the focus of the evening.
Within reach: Some of the described metals were displayed on a table for illustration. During the presentation, a germanium lens also circulated among the audience – an inconspicuous piece of glass with a few chipped edges. Yet, this simple piece was indispensable for military applications. Drones that would wander blindly at night without germanium, and night vision devices that would remain useless without this commodity, impressively demonstrated how crucial such unassuming materials are.
With “The Cocaine of Industry,” we aimed to draw public attention to these critical metals. They are essential for our prosperity, our energy supply, and increasingly, our defense capabilities. However, the West is far too reliant on imports, especially from China. In fact, only about 2% of global exploration costs were spent in Europe – a dangerous imbalance.
The presentation was followed by a high-profile panel discussion on commodity security. Among the participants was Ms. Flavia Sennhauser, an experienced specialist in mine project financing with 25 years of professional experience. Her portfolio included mining financings totaling over USD 1.5 billion, which she successfully analyzed, structured, and implemented. Ms. Sennhauser’s expertise covers the entire value chain of mines – from strategic planning to capital raising. This lays the groundwork for the Steenkampskraal mine project in South Africa, which we are supporting, to not just remain a pipe dream but to actually be realized. European industry urgently needs a secure supply of rare earths for high-performance magnets. This rich ore deposit offers precisely that potential.
To achieve this goal, Noble Elements is to be expanded with Noble Discovery – an initiative focused on developing new raw material deposits and implementing mining projects. The message of the evening was clear: without decisive action on raw material security, Europe remains dangerously dependent.