About the EAERE Winter School 2027
EAERE Winter School on Critical Raw Materials
Savoie Mont Blanc University, Annecy-le-Vieux (France), March 1st – 5th, 2027
The Institute for Research in Management and economics (IREGE), and the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE) organise the 2025-2029 EAERE Winter School series in Resource and Environmental Economics for postgraduate students, locally organised by the University Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB).
The 2027 EAERE Winter School will address the topic “Critical Raw Materials” and will take place from 1st to 5th March 2027 in Annecy-le-Vieux, close to Annecy, France.
Objectives
Concerns over dependence on imports of critical raw materials (CRMs), both in the form of ores and refined metals, have led to the adoption of targeted policies at the European level as well as a very active trade policy in the US in recent years. Regarding Europe, the initial objective was to support Europe’s industrial leadership in the energy transition—particularly in the field of electric vehicle batteries—by increasing European capacities for the extraction, refining, and recycling of metals, while also diversifying foreign sources of supply. However, following the successive shocks caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the introduction of export controls by several producing countries, the European approach to mining has joined the US one by shifting toward securing strategic autonomy in a context of heightened geo-economic fragmentation risks. These developments raise new questions for resource economics. This Winter School will bring together students and researchers working on the economics of CRMs, from both empirical and theoretical perspectives, to better understand the challenges ahead and the policies needed to address them.
Lectures and teachers
Day 1 : Aude Pommeret – Savoie Mont Blanc University and OFCE-ScesPo – Theory of CRM 1: Energy transition:
This lecture will tackle the modeling of the energy transition accounting for the CRM constraints. This includes explaining the basic theoretical model, its calibration and simulation.
Day 2: Francesco Ricci – University of Montpellier – Theory of CRM 2: Geopolitical issues:
This lecture will adopt a sectorial approach to study mine opening and recycling with a particular focus on strategic interactions.
Day 3: Martin Stuermer – International Money Fund – Modelling Critical Mineral Supply:
This lecture introduces theoretical and empirical approaches to modelling critical mineral supply in the short and long run, balancing depletion against technological progress. It also covers models that quantify how trade frictions and geopolitical fragmentation affect supply and prices.
Day 4: Andrea Bastianin – University of Milan – Forecasting Critical Raw Material Prices: Methods and Applications:
This lecture introduces econometric approaches to forecasting critical raw material prices, covering univariate and multivariate time series models, the use of macroeconomic and financial predictors, and forecast evaluation. Particular attention is devoted to the challenges of real-time forecasting, including data availability, publication lags, and the use of nowcasting techniques, with applications to industrial metals.
Day 5 – Olivier Vidal – IsTerre Grenoble – On the geology of resources (Title to be confirmed)
Rabah Arezki – CNRS & CERDI (to be confirmed)
School Organising Committee
Local Lead Organiser: Aude Pommeret
Local organisers: Dorothée Charlier, Estelle Burnet (research assistant) and Gersende Gatellet (administrative assistant)