Aim:

Student learning outcomes:

• Understanding the fragile global supply chain of scarce resources.

• Being able to interrupt data (supply chains) and use them to come up with logical conclusions.

• Being aware that every person’s choice and decisions will impact different parts of the world

• Able to think about a problem from multiple stakeholders positions

 

Background information:

***The interactive map is constructed as an example of the supply chain. The supply chains are not accurate to real world situations since company supply chain information is often confidential. 

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Niobium is a resource that is only mined in 3 major countries. The other 2 countries (Australia and Canada) only make up 11% of production while Brazil makes up 88% of Niobium production. Niobium is used in various metal alloys but recently it has been incorporated into electronics. It is currently being utilised as a must have component for a working quantum computer by the company D Wave. As Artificial Intelligence (AI) develops, the need for complicated computer processing is needed, therefore in the distant future critical material such as Niobium will become a mineral in everyone’s home AI systems. We use Niobium as an example here as it is easier for the students to see a problem with so many countries around the world relying on a resource that is mainly exported from Brazil. Recently Brazil’s economic and political situations are not at their best, corruption and other political issues may drive this resource into production troubles. These are the things that students should consider when undertaking the following activities.

 

**The suggested answers are in red.

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Interactive map question sheet –

Niobium is a rare earth material found in mainly Brazil, Canada and Australia. It is used as a superconductor for Quantum computers and other nanotech devices. Quantum computers are super computers that could process multiple problems at once instead of a single problem at a time like classical computers.

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In order to make such computers, companies from around the world must work together in the most efficient manner. Starting from the raw resources that are being mined (This is known as primary production). Then it will later be processed and manufactured into chips and parts that will be used in the construction of the final product (This is processing process is known as the secondary production). The final part will be using these secondary production parts to be constructed into the final product, for example assembling the parts into the Quantum Computer (This is known as tertiary production).

 

Here’s an example where Niobium may be used: With the recent development of Artificial intelligence the need for a stronger and more powerful computer to process information that will lead to self-learning capabilities has never been greater. Just imagine having a computer system at home that will learn everything that you’ve taught them in an instant while giving you the most optimal answer and option like Iron man’s computer system Jarvis. 

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Unfortunately, Niobium can only be found in mainly 3 countries and 88% of Niobium comes from only 2 mines in Brazil. What could be the potential issues of using such rare and scarce material?

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