MI Think Tank

Mission InnovationMission Innovation | Insights | MI Think Tank

About

In July 2023, MI launched the Think Tank to supercharge knowledge sharing and dissemination on high-impact clean energy RD&D topics among the MI Community and beyond. Through a programme of member-driven workshops and events, the Think Tank is a test-bed for MI Members and partners, accelerating collaboration and best-practice exchange on cross-cutting and emerging issues related to the successful design and implementation of clean energy innovation policies, programs and collaborations.

The Think Tank provides a space for the MI Community to share their expertise, learn from their peers, and workshop common challenges on cross-cutting topics with broad relevance to MI members – topics that have relevance across multiple technology or thematic areas. This includes new and emerging topics that MI does not currently address through its work – where initial exploration and discussion through the Think Tank mechanism can strengthen the ability of MI and its members to respond to these topics over the long term. Outcomes and learnings from Think Tank activities are shared broadly, where all members of the clean energy community can benefit.

Why A Think Tank?

At the 7th MI Ministerial in September 2022, MI members endorsed MI’s Track and Review Framework, an MI-wide programme that includes the annual Technical Advisory Group review and Missions Tracking. Through endorsement of the Track and Review Framework, members also committed to strengthen capability in evidence-based innovation policy through a programme of webinars, knowledge exchange sessions and insights reports on topics identified by members. To deliver on this commitment, and to meet the wider commitments of MI 2.0 – the Mission Innovation Secretariat has launched the Think Tank. The Think Tank helps MI to:

  1. Resolve Common Challenges: MI Members face common challenges in implementing effective clean energy innovation policies, programs, and international collaborations necessary for the energy transition. The Think Tank provides a space for members to share how they have addressed these and also ask for input on potential solutions.
  2. Strengthen Collaboration within MI and with Global Partners: The Think Tank will strive to improve visibility and alignment of activity with MI’s collaborating organizations, such as IEA, IRENA, Breakthrough Energy, Mission Possible Partnership, European Investment Bank, and the World Bank. This will help enhance knowledge exchange and support broadly beneficial activities within the MI community.
  3. Increase Visibility and Outreach: Member-driven knowledge sharing, along with public dissemination online – where all MI members and the broader clean energy community can benefit from it – will enhance MI’s visibility and expand its reach beyond immediate membership. The broader clean energy community will be able to both engage with Think Tank events and access the knowledge the Think Tank will produce.

Upcoming Events

Future Think Tank events to be announced.

Think Tank Inclusivity Series

At the 9th MI Ministerial Meeting in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, the MI Think Tank launched it’s new Inclusivity Series which will advance knowledge sharing events and reports on key just transitions topics – from community engagement, gender equality, youth, remote communities, energy poverty, and more – ensuring that MI and its members can advance people-centred clean energy innovation. The Think Tank Inclusivity Series is a key deliverable of the MI Inclusivity Catalyst, which aims to enable MI to support a just and inclusive energy transition.

 

Past Inclusivity Series Events

1. Meaningful Community Engagement for an Inclusive and Equitable Energy Transition (October 2, 2024 – 15:15-16:15 BRT)

Mabu Thermas Grand Resort – Brasília Theatre / MI-9 Ministerial Event – Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil

To ensure the success of technologies for a net-zero future, projects must actively involve communities and deliver concrete environmental, social, and economic benefits. Community engagement is critical for all energy investment, including renewable energy production and for new technologies such as carbon dioxide removal, which, like other new technologies, require meaningful involvement with communities from the early stages of testing and development to deployment. Strengthening the understanding of Mission Innovation (MI) member governments on this topic – particularly as it relates to community engagement on early stage and nascent technology development – can be an important step for the MI Community to help imbed equity and inclusion in technologies at an early stage, as a critical enabler of responsible deployment.

In the first event of the new MI Think Tank Inclusivity Series at the 9th MI Ministerial Meeting in Foz do Iguaçu Brazil, the MI Think Tank, MI Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Mission, and International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) convened a high-level discussion with leading voices from international organizations, communities, innovators and governments to share the latest insights and concrete examples of community engagement practices that centre people and drive just outcomes in the early stages of energy research, development, and demonstration (RD&D).

 

Think Tank Archive

Knowledge dissemination is a key aim of the Think Tank. Once Think Tank events are delivered – key learnings, information and other materials from these events will be compiled below where all interested can access them and learn from Think Tank activities.

Past Events

1. Financing Clean Energy Demonstrations Dialogue Series – Financing Masterclass (October 30, 2023 – 14:00-15:30 CET)

Mission Innovation and the United States Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations convened an MI Financing Masterclass – bringing together experts working to de-risk early-stage clean energy projects with policymakers who are designing funding programs that leverage mechanisms to reduce the risk for producers and consumers of low-carbon technologies. As MI member countries continue to deploy demonstration projects, improving understanding of the mechanisms that that can de-risk project finance for emerging technologies will be critical to continue to scale-up these investments.

 

2. The Circular Carbon Economy – From Concept to Realization (January 31, 2024 – 10:30-12:00 CET)

The Circular Carbon Economy (CCE) builds on the principles of circular economy and applies them to managing carbon emissions: to reduce the carbon that must be managed in the first place, to reuse carbon as an input to create feedstocks and fuels, to recycle carbon through the natural carbon cycle with bioenergy, and, unique to circular carbon economy, to remove excess carbon and store it. Realizing a CCE requires efforts to bring down costs of key technologies. As Mission Innovation (MI) Member governments advance collaboration to scale-up relevant technologies from carbon management to clean fuels – the CCE can provide a useful framework to guide action and investment.

This MI Think Tank event convened by MI and MI Partner Organization KAPSARC shared knowledge on the CCE – from its concept and frameworks to the technologies critical to its realization.

 

3. Exploring Financing Models for International Innovation Cooperation (May 17, 2024)

Global cooperation on clean energy innovation plays an important role in accelerating the pace of energy systems transformation, as a critical component of the energy transition. This cooperation can accelerate knowledge generation, avoid duplication of work, and increase competencies of researchers participating. MI Missions are pioneering international clean energy innovation collaboration in support of ambitious clean energy innovation goals. However, financing meaningful international innovation collaboration, particularly in cases where cross-border project funding is involved, can be challenging for MI Member Governments and Missions to navigate. Administrative costs, limited budgetary resources, and differing international and national rules for collaborative clean energy innovation programs can all create hurdles for governments pursuing collaboration with international partners. As MI Missions rally their members towards their ambitious actions, improving the understanding among MI Member Governments on effective models and good practice approaches for financing international clean energy innovation cooperation can unlock strengthened member contributions to joint projects through MI Missions.

At the Mission Innovation Annual Gathering in Bali, Indonesia on May 17th, Mission Innovation (MI) convened an in-person MI Think Tank event: Exploring Financing Models for International Innovation Cooperation. This event brought together MI Member Government experts from Australia, Canada, and the European Commission to share their perspectives on successful models to provide funding for international collaboration on clean energy innovation, recognize challenges, and propose concrete tips and solutions for MI Member Governments

 

4. Unlocking Finance for Clean Energy Innovation (July 11, 2024 – 10:00-12:00 CEST)

Discussions during the recent Mission Innovation Annual Gathering identified financing gaps for (i) cleantech innovators that have received research funding, demonstrated the viability of their technology and are ready to start commercializing, (ii) for cleantech start-ups that try to scale up their businesses as well as (iii) for companies and public sector entities that need to invest into cleantech to make their operations climate-friendly. Since its launch in 2023, the MI Think Tank has been leveraged by MI members to strengthen knowledge sharing between MI members and partners on cross-cutting clean energy innovation topics, including financing for demonstration projects.

This MI Think Tank event convened by MI and MI Collaborating Organization the European Investment Bank (EIB) continues the discussion among MI members on financing innovation – presenting an overview of financing options for all these needs and discuss what innovators need to provide to attract investment. The event aims to strengthen understanding of available financing options and a frank exchange on the challenges and opportunities of securing finance for cleantech innovations.

 

5. Clean Energy Innovation Policies in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (November 28, 2024 – 14:00-15:30 CET)

This Think Tank event was convened jointly by MI, the International Energy Agency, and the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi to explore how clean energy innovation policies can help support prosperity and meet the climate goals of emerging markets and developing economies.

Emerging and developing economies are critical to the global energy transition, as their pathways to meeting growing energy demand will be critical to achieving clean energy goals. Innovation is essential, as 35% of the energy sector emissions reductions needed to reach net zero by mid-century rely on technologies that are not yet commercially available. However, innovation needs to fit the specific country context – and there is no “one-size-fits-all” solutions to the innovation challenges faced by emerging markets and developing economies. This discussion presented a new joint report by the IEA and IIT Delhi: Clean Energy Innovation Policies in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies, which includes case studies from experts in 11 countries: Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa.