When: Tuesday, February 18, 2025, 6:30 PM - 8:15 pm (local) 
Where: Diplomatic Academy of Vienna (4th district).

The Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation warmly invites you to join us for the documentary film screening of "Lithium Rising: The Race for Critical Minerals" at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna.

The captivating film "Lithium Rising: The Race for Critical Minerals" by Samuel George, explores the challenges and opportunities at the forefront of the energy transition in the 21st century. Following the film, a distinguished panel discussion will take place with:

• Samuel George, filmmaker and representative of the Bertelsmann Foundation
• Stella Mitschke, sustainability and electrochemistry expert and key figure in the IPCEI program at Austria Wirtschaftsservice
• Thomas Row, Head of the Contemporary History Department at Diplomatic Academy of Vienna

After the discussion, you are invited to stay for snacks and drinks, providing an opportunity to exchange ideas and continue the conversation.

Important Note:
As seating is limited, we kindly ask you to register at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We look forward to welcoming you to this engaging event!

Synopsis:

From the moment the smartphone alarm wakes us up in the morning, we begin our day relying on the lithium battery. The toothbrush, the e-bike, the laptop, tablet, camera, hearing aid and smartwatch. The weedwhacker. The pacemaker. From the mundane to the lifesaving, lithium powered devices get us through the day.

The demand for lithium batteries has skyrocketed in just a few years. This trend is forecast to accelerate with the global transition to electric vehicles. Access to minerals such as lithium, cobalt and nickel has emerged as a vital geopolitical, economic and social concern. So where do these minerals come from? And who controls the supply chain?

From the lithium flats of South America, to the cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; from nickel smelters in Indonesia, to battery gigafactories in Northern France, to recycling plants in rural Georgia, this new film, directed by the award-winning documentarian Samuel George, brings the viewer up close and personal with the people and communities impacted by this global transition.

It is a journey to the frontline of energy in the 21st century. And the race is on.

More detailed information about the film is available here.