Corridor-Orchestrated Upgrading (COU) is introduced as a meso-scalar extension of Global Value Chain (GVC) theory to examine the structural constraints limiting upgrading in rare-earth element (REE) value chains in Africa. While GVC analysis has traditionally emphasised firm-level coordination, upgrading in strategically concentrated sectors is shaped by minimum efficient scale thresholds, infrastructural fragmentation, and geopolitical concentration. The study draws on an abductive analysis of policy and governance documents from 2023 to 2026 and develops a counterfactual comparison between fragmented national strategies and corridor-level coordination. Focusing on a sub-Saharan corridor linking Zambia, Malawi, and Namibia, the analysis shows that individual producers operate below the scale required for viable midstream processing. When aggregated at the corridor level, however, feedstock consolidation, infrastructure alignment, and regulatory harmonisation shift these conditions, moving production closer to operational viability. Three contributions emerge. First, the corridor is conceptualised as an intermediate governance configuration between national policy and globally concentrated markets. Second, minimum efficient scale is reframed as institutionally mediated rather than purely technical. Third, the analysis demonstrates how cross-border coordination can recalibrate upgrading feasibility in concentrated industries. Overall, the findings suggest that upgrading in strategic mineral value chains is fundamentally a question of institutional scale, offering a framework for understanding how coordinated corridor-level governance can reshape participation under conditions of geopolitical and industrial transition.
Lyle Samuel Doogan (2026) studied this question.