IEA’s second Energy Innovation Forum shines spotlight on key role of innovation in achieving policy goals

Co-hosted with Government of Canada, high-profile event featured hundreds of participants from around the world, highlighting current state of energy innovation and priority actions for unlocking its full potential

The IEA today convened more than 250 attendees from around the world for its second Energy Innovation Forum, which took place in Toronto in partnership with the Government of Canada ahead of the G7 Energy and Environment Ministers' Meeting.

The event brought together policy makers, innovators, investors, researchers and other energy sector stakeholders from almost 30 countries to examine the opportunities and risks currently facing energy technology innovation - with the aim of informing decision-makers about actions they can take to support innovation in the near-term.

Innovators from around 40 different start-ups participated in the Forum, along with more than 50 policy makers from multiple governments.

"Since its founding, the IEA has worked to advance international collaboration on energy technology innovation. From ensuring energy security to fostering economic growth and industrial competitiveness, supporting affordability, and driving down emissions, innovation is fundamental to many of governments' policy goals," said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. "This second edition of the IEA Energy Innovation Forum underscores the power of innovation at a crucial moment for the energy sector and shines a light on what more can be done to support it. We extend our sincere thanks to the Government of Canada for partnering with us on this important initiative and ensuring that its findings are shared with G7 Ministers."

"The discussions and ideas presented at this year's Energy Innovation Forum highlight Canada's global leadership in energy innovation," said The Honourable Tim Hodgson, Canada's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. "Canada is committed to work with the International Energy Agency and global partners in leading with urgency and purpose to reach an energy future that is secure, affordable, and sustainable."

These remarks were followed by a discussion of findings from the IEA's recent report The State of Energy Innovation, which was presented by IEA Chief Energy Technology Officer Timur Gül. The report identifies bright spots in energy technology progress from the past year, as well as key knowledge gaps and risks facing emerging innovations.

Dedicated sessions also explored topics such as advancing large-scale first-of-a-kind projects, opportunities for AI to accelerate the pace of innovation, how innovation can support the scaling up of carbon removal technologies, and the potential for innovation to diversify and add value to battery mineral supplies.

Videos of the sessions at the Forum are available here.

The next Energy Innovation Forum will be held alongside the 2026 IEA Ministerial Meeting, which will take place in Paris in February. To support those discussions, the IEA will release the 2026 edition of The State of Energy Innovation in February. The report will feature the latest data and analysis on the energy innovation landscape.