The world lithium market and the Asian axis. Commercial, industrial and technological dynamics (2001-2017)

Abstract

The dynamics of global lithium exchange, the control over its value chain and the market for lithium-ion batteries are a prime indicator of the north-south relations and contemporary development strategies applied by countries, since lithium is at the heart of a new energy paradigm. Based on statistical data, our objective is to analyze the commercial dynamics of lithium raw material, of batteries and accumulators, as well as to account for global innovation patterns and consumer markets of final products such as automobiles. As a result, we describe a pronounced shift in the dominant axis of lithium technology control toward Southeast Asia, which leaves the Atlantic economies behind while reissuing a dependent pattern in north-south relations.