Project

RESCHECK – A tool for determining enterprise dependence on rare metals

RESCHECK is a tool that enables small and medium-sized enterprises to determine the degree to which they depend on rare metals – and therefore the extent to which they may be vulnerable to increasing scarcity. The tool also helps its users to develop appropriate innovation and supply strategies. Working on behalf SWISSMEM, EBP developed the tool together with the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA).

Many enterprises find themselves confronted by a limited supply of rare metals. The reasons behind the limited supply include the growing global demand for raw materials, the changing material compositions of products and unfavorable geopolitical developments. The latest projections suggest that it will become increasingly difficult to secure an adequate supply of rare metals and that the scarcity will lead to dramatic price increases.

In contrast to large, multinational corporations, many small and medium-sized enterprises are not sufficiently aware of the extent which they may be exposed to serious economic risks as a result of the scarcity. This is why the Swiss Association of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Industries (SWISSMEM) decided to sponsor the development of a tool that would allow small and medium-sized companies to assess their particular vulnerability.

Working on behalf of SWISSMEM, EBP joined forces with EMPA to develop RESCHECK, a resource checking tool that enables small and medium-sized companies to determine their specific risk exposure to the growing scarcity of rare metals and to develop corresponding innovation and response strategies.

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