Europe's competitiveness challenge: Energy, rare earths and industrial sovereignty episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 8, 2026 · 19 MIN

Europe's competitiveness challenge: Energy, rare earths and industrial sovereignty

from Economic Security Watch

Europe's industrial model is under pressure. High energy costs, geopolitical tensions and growing competition from China and the US are forcing policymakers and businesses to rethink economic security.In this episode of Economic Security Watch, Danielle Myles speaks with Philippe Kehren, CEO of Belgian chemicals group Solvay, about what Europe must do to remain competitive. Kehren argues that energy security, industrial sovereignty and resilient supply chains are now inseparable.He discusses the role of rare earths, the need for local production of strategic materials, Europe's energy transition, and why policymakers must work more closely with industry to secure the continent's industrial future.Timestamps00:00 - Welcome to Economic Security Watch01:26 - Solvay's Global Operational Challenges05:17 - Europe's Industrial Competitiveness08:37 - Policy for re-industrialisation & energy16:25 - Europe's decisive economic moment18:33 - How to contact Economic Security WatchfDi Intelligence's Economic Security Watch podcast keeps you in the know as investors navigate a world increasingly viewed through a national security lens. Read our leading analysis here. Episodes will be delivered monthly, corresponding to our Economic Security newsletter. Sign up here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jun 8, 2026

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

Europe's competitiveness challenge: Energy, rare earths and industrial sovereignty

0:00 19:04

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Economic Security Watch?

This episode is 19 minutes long.

When was this Economic Security Watch episode published?

This episode was published on June 8, 2026.

Can I download this Economic Security Watch episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!