Slovakia has the resources Europe needs. What it lacks is a strategy.

Lithium, manganese and a gigafactory offer opportunity, but missing links in the battery supply chain could leave Slovakia on the sidelines.

In the forests of the Little Carpathians, just a few kilometres from the capital, rich deposits of antimony — a strategic raw material essential for batteries, solar panels and fire-resistant materials — were discovered underground as far back as the Austro-Hungarian era. The resources that will shape the future of electric mobility and green energy may be found in locations across Slovakia.

Slovakia, once a significant mining nation, now imports almost half of its material inputs. In 2024, imports accounted for 44.5 percent of material consumption, significantly above the European average of 22.4 percent. Historical mining activity has left behind numerous environmental burdens, spoil heaps and tailings ponds, which today are seen more as regulatory challenges than sources of opportunity. That need not remain the case.

In June last year, the government approved the National Programme for Geological Exploration of Critical Raw Materials — the first strategic document of its kind in decades.

Henclová, where granite fragments containing lithium have been identified;