IEA’s third Energy Innovation Forum spotlights accelerating innovation as a catalyst for global competitiveness

Co-hosted with the Government of the Netherlands, the third annual IEA Energy Innovation Forum brought together more than 300 participants from around the world for a forward-looking discussion on the status and prospects for energy innovation.

Held in Paris on the margins of the 2026 IEA Ministerial Meeting, the forum brought together policy makers, innovators, investors, researchers and industry leaders from over 40 countries to examine the opportunities and risks facing energy technology innovation, and to identify priority actions that governments and market actors can take to accelerate progress in the near term.

"The discussions and ideas presented at this year's Energy Innovation Forum reflect the Netherlands' determination to remain at the forefront of energy innovation in Europe and globally," said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Climate Policy and Green Growth Sophie Hermans, who chaired the IEA Ministerial Meeting. "As a trading country with a strong industrial base and energy sector, our competitiveness is strongly driven by accelerating clean energy technologies that strengthen security, keep energy affordable and reduce emissions. The Netherlands is committed to working closely with the IEA to turn innovation into scalable solutions."

"Energy innovation gives countries more tools to tackle the complex challenges they face, from strengthening energy security and reducing emissions to enhancing competitiveness and improving affordability," said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol, who opened the Forum together with Deputy Prime Minister Hermans. "Holding the third edition of this Forum alongside our Ministerial Meeting underscores how central technology innovation is to the IEA's mission. As a data-driven organisation, we track the progress of more than 600 energy technologies, equipping governments, investors and industry with the insights they need to make informed decisions and scale up the most effective solutions."

The Forum featured the video launch of The State of Energy Innovation 2026 report, now in its second annual edition, and its findings were explored during a high-level ministerial panel. The report highlights areas of significant technological and policy progress over the past year, while also identifying key investment gaps and structural barriers affecting the scaling up of emerging energy technologies.

Among its main recommendations, the report calls on governments and innovators to harness synergies between competitiveness, resilience and energy technology deployment; tailor public funding to address specific financial and market barriers; and strengthen partnerships, networks and matchmaking mechanisms, including through the IEA, to accelerate the scaling up of technologies.

Dedicated sessions throughout the day explored advancing large-scale first-of-a-kind projects, accelerating innovation for resilient electricity grids, delivering fusion energy, and scaling up sustainable fuel pathways. Participants also discussed the growing role of technology innovation and supply chains in national competitiveness strategies, with a keynote address by European Commission Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera.

Looking ahead, the next Energy Innovation Forum will take place in 2027 in Vienna.

"We look forward to welcoming the IEA and energy innovators from around the world to Vienna in 2027 to continue the discussion on how to accelerate the development of innovative energy technologies," said Austria's State Secretary for Energy, Startups and Tourism Elisabeth Zehetner.

Videos of the Forum sessions are available here, and the agenda is available here.