Assessing the global energy innovation system: some key issues

Abstract

Energy technology innovation has played central role in the evolution and advancement of the energy sector. The major challenges facing the energy system—ensuring adequacy supply of energy services at low cost while mitigating adverse local and global environmental impacts—will doubtless require further innovation (i.e., research, development, demonstration and deployment) in energy technologies. Yet our understanding of the global energy innovation system is incomplete, with a majority of analyses focusing on energy research and development in industrialized countries, and within that domain, on funding levels. A much more systematic effort is warranted to assess, and fill, the gaps in understanding of the global energy innovation system—only then we will able to develop appropriate policies to guide this system to enable it to meet future challenges.