Enhancing International Technology Collaboration

Background

In December 2007 in Bali, the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change agreed on an Action Plan, where advanced technology was prominently cited as means for facilitating progress toward common goals. Specifically, the Bali Roadmap called for enhanced action on technology development, including consideration of effective mechanisms and enhanced means for cooperation on research and development of current, new and innovative technology, as well as mechanisms and tools for technology cooperation in specific sectors. In June 2008 the IEA was asked by member countries and G8 to develop international roadmaps for a portfolio of key energy technologies, assess the current status of international technology collaboration and explore the need for enhancing efforts. In Hokkaido a month later G8 leaders announced that “We will establish an international initiative with the support of the IEA to develop roadmaps for innovative technologies and cooperate upon existing and new partnerships, including carbon capture and storage (CCS) and advanced energy technologies.”

Also energy ministers from G8 countries, China, India and South Korea declared that “…those of us interested will take the initiative to accelerate efficient and lower carbon technology RD&D by using relevant structures within the IEA and the technology roadmaps for key technologies prepared by the IEA and countries; assessing the current status of existing international partnerships for technology cooperation; and exploring the need for additional ones. Along with the IEA non-member partners and other entities and relevant partnerships, and invite interested major economies to join in these efforts.”

The IEA recognizes the importance and urgency of adopting appropriate measures to stimulate development and deployment of innovative technologies that address energy security and climate change concerns and is ready to support this effort in collaboration with countries, industry and existing international partnerships. The IEA Expert Group on R&D Priority Setting & Evaluation has been requested to provide guidance and input to this process. The workshop findings and recommendations will support the Committee on Energy Research and Technology (CERT) to steer this effort.

Objective
The Expert Group, the IEA Secretariat and the US Department of Energy convene this workshop to focus on existing international technology collaboration among countries, discuss coverage, strengths and weaknesses of different modes and models, and identify opportunities and needs for enhancing technology collaboration. The workshop will build on the Group’s June 2008 workshop on roadmapping and take stock, to the extent practicable, of the current suite of roadmaps in high priority technology areas.

Current activities mapping global R&D and technology collaboration (e.g. from the Major Economies Meeting Process and the IEA R&D Mapping Project) will serve as input to the workshop. Updates in this regard will be provided by the IEA Secretariat and United States.

Partners representing existing models for international technology collaboration will be invited to contribute to the workshop. It is expected that these will include sharing of experiences on bilateral agreements, multilateral technology oriented partnerships, such as IAs, CSLF, IPHE, and regional multi-technology frameworks, such as APP and the EU. It is expected that this discussion will illuminate a fuller agenda of modes and means for inspiring R&D cooperation and collaboration, which includes, in addition, but is not limited to, advanced technology scenarios analyses, strategic planning, and sectoral approaches.

Agenda

Background