How important is the scientific knowledge gap between leading research and producing countries of lithium?

Abstract

Abstract: The strong increase in global demand for lithium, driven by the ion battery market and the use of this non-metallic mineral in various economic sectors such as mining (as a non-metallic and non-renewable mineral), health, technology, and geopolitical issues, has fueled the development of disruptive innovation, with new products linked to knowledge creation. These developments have included, among other things, the use of new processing techniques, the creation of new high-capacity cathode materials, the investigation of new sources of lithium, and increased recycling of lithium-ion batteries. This article's primary goal is to assess how this knowledge gap is related with innovation issues using the analysis of the scholar as a case study. Additionally, the examination of public policy related to the lithium business will be continued and updated in this publication. This study uses computerized bibliometric analysis based on the R program and Biblioshiny, a web interface for Bibliometrix analysis. One of the earliest studies to examine the discrepancy between lithium production and consumption based on innovation is this one. The research's contribution is to highlight the disparities and gaps in knowledge generation between producer and consumer countries, which creates a great opportunity to develop better public policies that use existing knowledge and promote collaborations between mining and technology companies for the development of a more sustainable, efficient, effective and competitive industry with future societies.