Energy innovation is increasingly centered on battery technologies, which now account for 40% of global energy patents, according to the International Energy Agency’s latest report.
Energy innovation report highlights storage as new strategic core
Energy innovation has found a new center of gravity: storage. In its latest report, “The State of Energy Innovation,” the International Energy Agency outlines a significant shift in global strategic priorities.
The 2025 edition identifies more than 150 major breakthroughs, ranging from fusion energy and sodium-ion batteries to perovskite solar cells and solid-state cooling systems based on materials that heat and cool under magnetic fields or electric currents.
The message is clear. Innovation is no longer focused solely on generation. It is increasingly concentrated on how energy is stored, managed and deployed.
Battery patents lead global rankings
If patents are the most reliable indicator of technological direction, the trend is unmistakable. In 2023, intellectual property related to batteries accounted for 40% of all global energy patents.
Roughly one in ten patents worldwide now concerns energy, a higher share than in the chemical, pharmaceutical or transportation sectors.
Lithium evolution and manufacturing gains
China, South Korea and Japan remain the dominant players in battery research, with China’s share expanding sharply over the past decade.
Lithium-ion batteries continue to lead the market but are becoming more accessible. Research has increasingly shifted toward lithium iron phosphate chemistry, which equipped about half of all electric vehicles sold globally in 2024 thanks to lower costs.
At the same time, manganese-rich cathodes are being developed to reduce reliance on nickel and cobalt, targeting energy density improvements of up to 33% compared with current standards.
Manufacturing is also evolving. The introduction of dry electrode coating processes is cutting cell production costs by around 5%, eliminating some of the most energy-intensive thermal steps.
Solid-state technology as the next leap
Within this broader landscape, solid-state batteries represent the next frontier of energy innovation. They promise energy density increases of 25% to 30% compared with conventional NMC batteries, along with enhanced safety.
Higher energy density translates directly into longer driving range for battery electric vehicles and could finally unlock the electrification of long-haul heavy transport.
Despite their potential, solid-state batteries are unlikely to compete directly with conventional lithium technologies for several years. Companies such as BYD, Toyota and Samsung are targeting mass production between 2027 and 2030.
New chemistries and grid resilience
To mitigate raw material price volatility, sodium-ion batteries entered commercial markets in 2025. They can operate effectively at temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius.
On the horizon, iron-air batteries are being tested for applications that require continuous energy supply for more than 100 hours. Thermal batteries, using simple materials such as sand, are also emerging as a mature solution to decarbonize high-temperature industrial processes.
A new geopolitics of energy innovation
The acceleration of battery research has reshaped the geography of global technological power. Over the past decade, China has moved from holding just 4% of cathode material patents in 2010 to nearly 40% in 2022.
Japan remains a leading innovator, particularly in frontier chemistries such as solid-state systems, while South Korea continues to dominate the lithium-ion segment.
In this context, batteries are no longer a component but the backbone of global industrial policy. Energy innovation is entering a new phase driven not only by decarbonization goals but also by energy security, industrial competitiveness and infrastructure resilience.
The IEA stresses that sustained and well-targeted public support will be essential. Aligning energy innovation strategies with broader competitiveness and resilience objectives will require consistent funding across all development stages, especially as private capital becomes more selective.
