State leverage key for mineral value chains in the Copperbelt : challenges to a domestic battery industry in DR Congo and Zambia

Since 2021, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Zambia have taken steps towards establishing a regional battery value chain, seeking to move from extraction towards higher-value production such as battery precursors and, ultimately, batteries themselves. Energy, transport and skills are rightly seen as key success factors. But other key variables often receive less attention in policy discussions: direct state participation and strategic oversight of investment decisions in the mining sector.