India, Feb. 19 -- Energy innovation is increasingly being shaped by geopolitics, competitiveness and energy security, alongside climate goals, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA)'s The State of Energy Innovation 2026.

The report notes that many innovation-relevant policies launched in 2025 prioritised technological leadership and supply chain security. More than 320 new energy start-ups raised first-round funding in 2025, and energy-related patents continue to rise as a share of total global filings.

Broad participation, uneven funding

Public and corporate R&D spending in energy is rising faster than overall R&D, yet public energy R&D intensity has not returned to historic highs, with survey respondents flagging scarce f...