Shocking! The vice president of a rare earth giant leaked the company's core secrets!
This is a report by Xiaoxiang Morning News on April 14, 2024. As the "ballast stone" of China's rare earth industry, the leakage of the secrets of this leading enterprise has undoubtedly cast a shadow on China's mining industry.
"When a magician's secret is revealed, his magic is no longer magical." This is how one expert described the seriousness of the matter. The leaked technical and business information is like opening a "Pandora's box" of the rare earth industry, and the consequences are unpredictable.
The scandal has raised concerns about the prospects of China's rare earth industry. As a well-deserved "rare earth kingdom", can China's rare earth industry withstand this "leak" storm? Where is the future headed?
In fact, to understand the past and current situation of China's rare earth industry, we have to start with the "magical power" of rare earth elements.
Treasures in the "Treasure Chest": Rare Earth Elements and Their "Superpowers"
The smartphone in your hand, the electric car on the road, and even the TV at home are all inseparable from a magical mineral: rare earth elements.
This somewhat mysterious-sounding term actually refers to lanthanides and their compounds. They are like treasures with "superpowers" in the "treasure chest", contributing absolute power to the development of modern industry.
Who is the "Tyson of the magnet world"? There is no doubt that it is a permanent magnet material of NdFeB. It is simply unique in terms of magnetism and is widely used in wind turbines, electric vehicles and other products.
Elements such as praseodymium, terbium, and dysprosium are leading in the field of lighting and catalysts, and are indispensable "star" molecules in these industries.
The ups and downs of China's rare earth industry: from "backward students" to "return of kings"
When it comes to rare earth resources, China is far ahead. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the mainland has about 36% of the world's rare earth reserves, ranking first in the world.
From the "underground vault" in the Baiyun Obo mining area of Inner Mongolia to the other "pearls" distributed in the vast land, these "super gift packages" have given China's rare earth industry wings to take off.
In the 50s of the last century, China made a breakthrough in rare earth separation technology for the first time, which opened the prelude to the industrialization process. In the 90s, the state gave strong support and policy support through the "863 Plan".
After 2010, China further tightened its policies on rare earth mining and export, and comprehensively promoted the standardized development of the industry. This series of "precision drip irrigation" has made China's rare earth industry more and more stable on the road of intensification and greening.
However, the tailings and wastewater discharge caused by rare earth mining and smelting have also been a "stumbling block", bringing a lot of damage to the local environment. Fortunately, with the impetus of new technologies and processes, this "curse" has finally been broken.
Nowadays, China has become the "leading goose" of the global rare earth industry, and in the face of this important resource, which is known as the "vanguard of modern industry", it should shoulder the important task of leading the healthy development of the industry.
But just when the industry is taking off, an "infighting" is secretly brewing...
"Inner ghosts" are raging! China's rare earth industry has suffered a crisis of confidence
Although the rare earth industry is booming, things are much more than that. There are also many problems that need to be solved urgently, such as high industrial concentration and insufficient competition order.
"It's like a patient with a weak body, who is usually calm on the surface, but once it is invaded by the 'virus', the hidden problems are quickly exposed." Some scholars have used such a metaphor to describe the current situation.
And the vice president of the "inner ghost" who leaked the company's secrets was like a "poisonous snake burrowing into the grass", which caused the industry to suffer a heavy blow of "treachery".
It is reported that the information he leaked involves the company's core technology and business secrets, spanning the entire industrial chain of rare earth mining, smelting, and application, which can be said to be the company's most precious "cheats" completely made public.
Once this information is captured and used by competitors, the technological advantage of China's rare earth industry will be lost, leaving a "plate of scattered sand".
Industry insiders worry that this will greatly weaken the competitiveness of Chinese companies in the global market, just like a strange thief who "robs the rich and helps the poor", "stealing the crown jewel" from the king's head.
So, in response to this heavy blow, how should China's rare earth industry "recover" and regain its strength?
Breakthrough strategy: independent innovation to strengthen protection
In order to continue to dominate the global rare earth track, China's rare earth industry urgently needs to take two "counterattack" measures.
First of all, accelerate the pace of independent innovation, achieve technological breakthroughs in key areas, and strive to build a "moat", so as to consolidate the leading edge and avoid being seized by competitors again.
Some experts called for increasing R&D investment, encouraging source innovation, and constantly breaking through the "stuck neck" technology to inject new impetus into the development of the industry.
At the same time, we should further strengthen the protection of core technologies and trade secrets, and block all the gaps that can be taken advantage of by "stealing beams and changing pillars", so that "internal ghosts" have no opportunity to take advantage of them.
China has required relevant enterprises to comprehensively strengthen information security management, establish a sound mechanism and system, and check and fill in the gaps as soon as possible to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.
In the future, China's rare earth industry can only be invincible in the global market competition by firmly grasping the "initiative" of innovation and the "dominance" of confidentiality.
The war is temporarily suspended, and the rise of a new "king" is urgently needed
In recent years, Australia, the United States and other countries have begun to increase the development and utilization of rare earths, and the former "leader" status has begun to be challenged.
In the face of these "recruits", China's rare earth industry urgently needs to cheer up, compete in the "ring" of the global market, and recast the glory of the "king".
It is clear to everyone that China's rare earth reserves and production are still far ahead of other countries. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, China accounts for about 36% of the world's proven rare earth reserves.
However, the advantage is always temporary, and only by keeping pace with the times and striving for excellence can we stand tall in the future competition. Now is a critical period for China's rare earth industry to embark on a new journey and achieve a new leap.
In the future, we look forward to a "king alliance" composed of governments, enterprises and scientific research institutions to forge ahead on the journey of building a green, efficient and sustainable rare earth industry.
Only by working together can we resolve all kinds of "crises" and "opportunities" can be easily solved. The government needs to improve relevant laws and regulations to create a good environment for development; Enterprises should have the courage to innovate and continuously improve production efficiency and technical level; Scientific research institutions should provide intellectual support for the development of the industry. Of course, the most important thing is to guard against thieves.
Source: Xiaoxiang Morning Post 2024-04-14 11:47