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World race to self-sufficiency in strategic manufacturing

Global value chains have been shrinking for a decade; the pandemic has only accelerated the process. Western countries are now racing to reshore parts of their strategic manufacturing and make supply chains more resilient. China, meanwhile, continues its quest for dominance and competes with the West for access to strategic suppliers.

Sweden rebuilds its military force, maybe
Sweden’s defense budget is to grow by about one third in the next three years, as the country reverses its decades-long policies and aims to rebuild its once impressive territorial defense capabilities. The plan hardly surprises in today’s neo-Cold War context, but given the scope and nature of the challenges ...


Opinion: The EU’s digital lag
A dozen or more global giants have emerged in the online data business, but none in the European Union. That is not for lack of trying. The EU has issued voluminous regulations on data protection and dangled investment incentives for digital entrepreneurs, yet this outpouring of directives and money has ...


Uncertain strategies for securing supplies of critical raw materials
Western industries are faced with a grave challenge: the exploding demand for rare metals and elements required by cutting-edge decarbonization and digitalization technologies could far outpace the projected growth in their supplies. Moreover, the global market for these raw materials is dominated by a handful of countries, and the usual ...
