EPO and IEA sign Memorandum of Understanding
IEA Director for Sustainability, Technology and Outlooks Laura Cozzi and EPO Vice-President Steve Rowan
The European Patent Office (EPO) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) have agreed on a renewed framework for co-operation through the signature of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed in Paris on the margins of the IEA Energy Innovation Forum.
The renewed MoU reaffirms the EPO and IEA's shared commitment to strengthening the evidence base for energy and innovation policy. By combining the EPO’s global patent intelligence with the IEA’s energy data, modelling and policy expertise, the partnership aims to deliver actionable insights into emerging technologies, innovation trends and challenges shaping the global energy transition.
This is the continuation of a long-standing partnership closely aligned with the work of the EPO’s Observatory on Patents and Technology. The partnership deploys patent intelligence to produce analytical reports, technology platforms and tools for players across the innovation ecosystem. Over recent years, this collaboration has resulted in a series of joint studies on key technologies such as hydrogen, electricity grids and low-carbon energy systems, providing policymakers, investors and industry with evidence-based insights. The next joint publication is a Technology Insight Report on the circularity of battery technologies, which will be published in April 2026.
IEA Energy Innovation Forum 2026: highlighting the role of patents in driving innovation and insight
Speaking at the IEA Energy Innovation Forum, EPO Vice-President Steve Rowan highlighted how the patent system is a powerful source of intelligence, able to reveal trends that enable policymakers, investors and inventors to make well-informed decisions. He emphasised how energy underpins innovation across every industry and the role that quality patents play in translating these breakthrough technologies into real-world solutions, particularly at a time when first-of-a-kind energy projects face significant financing and deployment challenges.
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