Dr. Yannick Harrel

  On Wednesday, June 30, 2025, in Washington, the agreement on the mining of Ukraine's subsoil was signed by the United States. The document was initially scheduled for signing on February 28, 2025, during a meeting between the American and Ukrainian leaders, before tensions worsened after the meeting, particularly with Vice President James D. Vance. Canceled, deemed unfair, but subsequently pressed by the American authorities, the Ukrainian presidency decided to give in on a few points while claiming to safeguard national sovereignty over its underground resources. Although the terms of this agreement are not yet known [1], the broad outlines revealed suggest that the United States will have precedence over any other state regarding the prospecting, exploitation and development of Ukrainian subsoil. Publicized abroad due to highly proactive diplomacy, this policy nevertheless begins with the national territory and has its roots in Trump 's first presidency in 2016, reflect...

This triangular set draws its source from a systemic approach to the dynamic forces driving contemporary society. Since the invention of the wheel [1], transportation has been a means of controlling territories by the State wishing to exercise its prerogatives over them. Infrastructures have been developed in particular to allow the growth of trade but also - and above all - the rapid deployment in all axes of columns of soldiers: this was, is and will remain the norm for any power intending to keep its space under control [2]. It is up to any civilization to increase the transport network and maintain it at a sufficient level. Its cultural, economic, social, political, military, religious, scientific, etc. health depends on it. This network can be supplemented where appropriate by public and/or private local resource providers. By extension, the exploitation of the territory for the benefit of the resident group cannot be carried out without an efficient transport networ...

  In July 2023 and again in August 2024, China announced restrictions on the export of germanium, gallium, and then antimony to Western countries. This decision, which was not the first of its kind by the Middle Kingdom, nevertheless takes on added significance in a tense global context with the United States. The decision also recognizes the industrial and logistical maturity of a country that knows it is robust enough to oppose Western interests. Three critical materials for Western industrial activity : Germanium (Ge, number 32), gallium (Ga, number 31), antimony (Sb, number 51): these materials with such singular names have hardly made the news in recent months. This is all the more damaging given their essential role in the ecological and digital transitions that Western societies have imposed on themselves, as well as in the development of contemporary civil and military technologies. Because these materials play crucial roles in several sectors due to their uni...

  The study of mobilities is fascinating in that it highlights the foundations of a civilization, both through the mobilities themselves and the ecosystem they generate and require. However, today’s subject is approached from a more philosophical than technical or logistical perspective. Through extensive analysis of mobilities, it quickly became apparent that the underlying trend of the 2000s-2010s was the exact opposite of the 1960s-1970s, when the goal was to expand and streamline traffic routes in France.   If Georges Pompidou, a man of letters and head of state, were to return among his people, he would likely echo his outburst from that evening in 1966, when a young, ambitious mission officer (and future president) named Jacques Chirac rushed to have him sign a slew of decrees: “Stop bothering the French! There are too many laws, too many texts, too many regulations in this country! It’s suffocating! Let them live a little, and you’ll see everything will go better! Leave...

  The emergence of Cybergeonomy as a new discipline responds to an urgent need of our time: understanding and mastering the complex dynamics that link the digital ecosystem, energy flows and strategic resources. In an era where digital technology is redefining global power relations, critical raw materials - such as lithium, cobalt, rare earths, and copper - are becoming the pillars of a technological revolution that is shaping our societies. These resources, essential for the manufacture of batteries, semiconductors, and other essential components, are no longer mere " commodities " : they are the levers of a new energy and digital sovereignty. Definitions : Genonomy focuses on the relationship between geological resources (fossil and mineral resources) and human activities, especially those with high energy demands, such as industry, transportation, or digital infrastructure. The term originally comes from the Romanian naturalist Grigore Antipa (1867-1944) and then from the...