International collaboration continues to power innovation in energy technologies

Throughout history, collaboration among researchers and experts across countries has been a motor of innovation in energy technologies. By advancing our understanding of energy fundamentals, improving the efficiency and quality of existing processes and materials, and supporting the development of frontier technologies that strengthen the energy security and sustainability, this coordination has accelerated progress and shed new light on the implications of innovative technologies around the world.

An understanding that energy technology innovation can play a key role in reducing the likelihood and severity of energy shocks led to the establishment of the IEA’s Technology Collaboration Programme shortly after the Agency’s launch in 1974. And today, the motivation behind this work is just as strong.

The IEA’s Technology Collaboration Programmes (TCPs) are unique international networks of independent groups that collaborate to advance the research, development and commercialisation of energy technologies – and to bring valuable knowledge to policymakers worldwide. Over the past five decades, some 80 TCPs have been created, and today there are 38 active groups covering nearly every aspect of the energy ecosystem – from renewables and smart grids to hydrogen, carbon capture, fossil energy and next-generation fuels.

The TCPs currently involve thousands of experts from approximately 300 public and private organisations across around 60 countries. This includes representatives of non-IEA Member countries. Many of the original initiatives remain active today, continuously evolving to meet emerging technological breakthroughs and global energy challenges. The newest TCP – established earlier this year – focuses on Critical Minerals and Material Recovery, an increasingly important topic for policymakers and technology developers.  

This week, representatives of the TCPs are convening at the IEA’s headquarters in Paris for the sixth Universal TCP Meeting. Participants will focus on priorities for strengthening international collaboration on innovation and the role that innovation plays in supporting governments’ ambitions to achieve a secure, sustainable and affordable energy future. The meeting will also welcome the Mission Innovation (MI) Missions Directors to discuss opportunities for collaboration, with the IEA set to host the MI Secretariat at its headquarters starting this year.

The energy sector is an innovation powerhouse. Globally, one in ten patents is related to energy – ahead of patents for chemicals, pharmaceuticals or transport. This reflects rapidly advancing technology development across multiple fields – such as battery technologies, which account for nearly half of all energy sector patents today.

There are multiple drivers of energy innovation. In a recent IEA survey of experts and practitioners conducted for the State of Energy Innovation 2026 report, energy security emerged as the leading driver of innovation, ahead of affordability, emissions reduction and supporting national economic performance. In the context of the ongoing energy crisis resulting from the conflict in the Middle East, the importance of energy security in shaping the innovation ecosystem cannot be understated. However, the energy technology research and development (R&D) landscape has evolved over the years, and public spending on energy R&D now represents a far smaller share of GDP in IEA Member countries than after the 1970s oil shocks.

As a result of pressing energy security needs and budgetary restraints, the kind of international collaboration led by the TCPs has a crucial role to play. While the possibilities for sharing information and connecting internationally have expanded since the early days of the TCPs, the role of the TCPs in promoting peer-to-peer exchange remains just as important. Several of the TCPs organise summer schools and training workshops to help exchange knowledge and connect people. For example, the TCP focused on carbon capture and storage research, IEAGHG, co-organises meetings of the Network of National Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage Centres of Excellence in the Global South, which is designed to foster collaboration and capacity-building on this topic across emerging and developing economies.

Some outputs of the TCPs have direct use for other researchers and industry representatives. For example, the Energy Technology Systems Analysis Programme (ETSAP) TCP – which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year – supports national governments, research institutions and industry stakeholders by creating energy modelling frameworks that support analysis. The TIMES (The Integrated MARKAL–EFOM System) model generator, its flagship modelling platform, takes data on energy services, existing stocks, new technology options, resource availability and policy settings to identify the lowest-cost pathways for meeting projected energy demand under defined constraints over long-term time horizons. This can help determine optimal technology investments and operations. TIMES is now used in more than 50 countries worldwide.

The TCPs also act as a direct bridge to the policy community. For instance, the Behavioural Insights Toolkit developed by the User-Centred Energy Systems (Users) TCP provided inspiration for a toolkit used by the European Commission’s new Energy Behaviour Forum, which looks to support local and regional authorities in promoting energy efficiency practices. Similarly, the Ocean Energy Systems TCP’s Evaluation and Guidance Framework for ocean energy projects is being applied in different funding processes worldwide, including by Wave Energy Scotland, the European Commission and the US Department of Energy. Many of the TCPs also work to increase public knowledge about energy research on key topics, with outputs such as the Bioenergy TCP’s series of factsheets.

Some of the TCPs also directly undertake laboratory research, development and demonstration (RD&D). For example, there are eight TCPs dedicated to different aspects of fusion power research. In a sector where there are many technical challenges to be resolved, and progressing to the project stage is both complex and costly, international collaboration and knowledge sharing has an essential role to play. The Spherical Tori TCP, for instance, supports both public and private research facilities and design programmes for future ST fusion pilot plants, as well as the various interactions and collaborations between them. The projects being followed by the TCP saw several milestone developments in 2025, such as the SMART Tokamak in Seville, Spain, producing its first plasma.

The TCPs also make a direct contribution to the work of the IEA, providing input to the Energy Technology Guide, which tracks the development of more than 600 individual technologies and components across the energy system, as well as annual reports such as the State of Energy Innovation series and the Renewables market report. This helps to ensure IEA analysis represents a wide breadth of deep technical expertise.

After more than five decades of fruitful international collaboration on energy technology, this week’s TCP Universal Meeting will look at how to further promote and enhance the value of TCPs for the next 50 years and beyond.