IEA Technology Collaboration Programme holds its third universal meeting

Leading energy experts from the public and private sector gathered in Paris on 18 and 19 June for the third universal meeting under the International Energy Agency’s Technology Collaboration Programme (TCP).

Innovation is an essential underpinning of energy sector transitions worldwide. Given the growing complexity and interconnection of energy systems, cooperation and networking can increase effectiveness and maximise the impact of innovation efforts.

“2019 is a key year for innovation at the IEA,” said Dr Fatih Birol, the IEA’s Executive Director. “A more integrated and holistic approach to energy technology innovation is required to reach a sustainable energy future, which means even more partnerships among those in this room.”   

For more than 40 years, the vast amount of research and technology analysis carried out under the TCP network has provided a vital contribution to advancing clean energy technologies worldwide. The TCP currently has some 6,000 participants representing 300 government and industry entities from 54 countries, demonstrating the reach of the TCP’s global innovation network. This body of knowledge supports high-level debates and real-world actions.

The first day of this week’s event was jointly hosted by the IEA Committee on Energy Research and Technology and the IEA Standing Group on Long-Term Co-operation. It brought together policy and decision makers to share experiences on disruptive innovation, technology trends, and partnerships between governments, the private sector and other energy stakeholders.

The meeting provided an opportunity for innovators and strategic thinkers to discuss key trends, which will help to inform future IEA activities related to energy technology, research and innovation. That includes the preparations for the 2019 IEA Ministerial and the 2020 edition of Energy Technology Perspectives, one of the IEA’s major publications.

At the meeting, the IEA unveiled new tools and online resources available under its energy innovation web portal, including a study mapping international partnerships relevant to energy technology innovation in order to identify synergies and foster strategic engagement across initiatives. The IEA Secretariat also outlined plans for a major effort to modernise the TCP legal mechanism, further explore how the IEA can make better use of TCP work and improve communication across the TCP network.