ORIGINAL PAPER
Zeolite mining industry in the Visegrad Group (V4) countries: a SWOT-AHP analysis of strategic, economic, and environmental factors
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1
Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences
2
Research Unit of Geophysics, Department of Geodesy and Geoinformation, TU Wien
3
Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences
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Department of Mineralogy, Petrology and Economic Geology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava
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Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague
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Institute of Exploration Geosciences, Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of Miskolc
Submission date: 2026-04-08
Final revision date: 2026-05-12
Acceptance date: 2026-05-17
Publication date: 2026-09-28
Gospodarka Surowcami Mineralnymi – Mineral Resources Management 2026;42(3):85-110
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ABSTRACT
This article assesses the potential and challenges of the natural zeolite mining industry in the Visegrad Group (V4) countries: Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. Amid global sustainability challenges, the sector is gaining socio-economic importance due to the growing demand for eco-friendly materials with unique adsorption and catalytic properties. The Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis, combined with the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), enables the identification and ranking of the industry’s key internal and external factors. The SWOT-AHP results indicate that high-quality deposits, a broad product portfolio, and advanced quality management are critical regional advantages. Conversely, high labor and logistics costs, the environmental impacts of extraction, and internal market competition were identified as weaknesses. Furthermore, economic uncertainty and the availability of substitutes represent significant threats to the industry’s stability. Exploring new applications, expanding to diverse sectors (such as agriculture and water treatment), and adapting to consumer trends present major opportunities for growth. Strategic priorities highlight that a strengths-opportunities (SO) approach enables firms to proactively leverage key assets to meet the growing demand for environmental adsorbents. Concurrently, a strengths-threats (ST) strategy helps mitigate risks associated with zeolite substitutes and global economic fluctuations. The article provides evidence-based recommendations to enhance regional competitiveness and sustainable development, while encouraging collaborative innovations between enterprises, policymakers, and research institutions.
FUNDING
This work was supported by the Visegrad Fund (project ID: 22030212), the statutory works of the Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, and the Slovak Grant Agency VEGA (1/0306/23).
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The Authors have no conflict of interest to declare.
METADATA IN OTHER LANGUAGES:
Polish
Przemysł wydobywczy zeolitów w krajach Grupy Wyszehradzkiej (V4): analiza SWOT-AHP czynników strategicznych, ekonomicznych i środowiskowych
strategie, zasoby naturalne, przemysł wydobywczy, zeolity, SWOT-AHP
W artykule ocenione są potencjał i wyzwania branży wydobywczej zeolitów naturalnych w państwach Grupy Wyszehradzkiej (V4): Polsce, Czechach, Słowacji i na Węgrzech. W obliczu globalnych wyzwań zrównoważonego rozwoju sektor zyskuje znaczenie społeczno-gospodarcze dzięki rosnącemu popytowi na ekologiczne materiały o unikalnych właściwościach adsorpcyjnych i katalitycznych. Analiza silnych i słabych stron, szans oraz zagrożeń (SWOT) w połączeniu z metodą AHP pozwala zidentyfikować i uszeregować kluczowe czynniki wewnętrzne i zewnętrzne branży. Wyniki SWOT-AHP wskazują, że wysokiej jakości złoża, szerokie portfolio produktów oraz zaawansowane zarządzanie jakością to kluczowe przewagi regionalne. Z kolei wysokie koszty pracy i logistyki, środowiskowe skutki wydobycia oraz wewnętrzna konkurencja rynkowa to główne słabe strony. Ponadto niepewność gospodarcza i dostępność substytutów stanowią poważne zagrożenia dla stabilności branży. Odkrywanie nowych zastosowań, ekspansja do różnych sektorów (jak rolnictwo i oczyszczanie wody) oraz adaptacja do trendów konsumenckich to ogromne szanse rozwoju. Priorytety strategiczne pokazują, że podejście oparte na silnych stronach i szansach (SO) pozwala firmom proaktywnie wykorzystać atuty do zaspokojenia rosnącego popytu na adsorbenty środowiskowe. Jednocześnie strategia oparta na silnych stronach i zagrożeniach (ST) pomaga łagodzić ryzyka związane z substytutami zeolitów oraz globalnymi wahaniami gospodarczymi. Artykuł dostarcza opartych na dowodach rekomendacji mających na celu wspieranie regionalnej konkurencyjności oraz zrównoważonego rozwoju, zachęcając do innowacyjnej współpracy między przedsiębiorstwami, decydentami politycznymi i instytucjami badawczymi.
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