Technical Session Details and Leaders Session Highlight
The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) will organize the 7th RD20 (Research and Development 20 for Clean Energy Technologies) Conference from Tuesday, September 30, to Friday, October 3, 2025. Advanced registration is now open at RD20 Official Website until Friday, September 26, 9:00 AM (JST).
The 7th RD20 Conference Overview
| Dates |
September 30 (Tue) – October 3 (Fri), 2025 |
| Sep. 30 (Tue): Technical Session (Open to the public) |
| Oct. 1 (Wed): Technical Session (Open to the public) |
| Oct. 2 (Thu): Site Visit Tour and Workshop (Both closed, RD20 members only) |
| Oct. 3 (Fri): Leaders Session (AM: Open to the public, PM: Closed, RD20 members only) |
| Venue |
Online and Tsukuba city, Ibaraki Prefecture (Hotel Nikko Tsukuba) |
| Organizer |
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) |
| Co-organizers |
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Ministry of the Environment (MOE), New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) |
| Details |
RD20 Official Website - the 7th RD20 Conference |
| Related Information |
The highlight video of the 6th RD20 Conference |
Technical Session Details
In the technical session, researchers and experts from 12 countries will deliver keynote speeches and discuss carbon-neutral technologies and the potential for international collaboration with participants. It consists of a plenary session and three thematic sessions focusing on synthetic fuels; energy storage; and AI and digitalization for energy. For details and the latest program, please visit here. *The program is subject to change.
Plenary High-level talk on energy and environment
Date: Tuesday, Sep. 30, 9:00-10:50 JST
Moderator: Dr. Michio Kondo (AIST, Japan)
The session features high-level discussions on energy and the environment from the perspectives of RD20 member institutions, their respective countries and regions, and contributions to the G20. The keynote speeches cover the AIST’s international collaboration, followed by a presentation from the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) on its role in advancing research and innovation and its international collaboration activities, considering recent energy trends in Canada. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) of South Africa, this year's G20 Presidency, will introduce the RD20’s contribution to G20 Energy Transition Working Group (ETWG). The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) will present on experiences in international collaborative research.
Theme 1 Synthetic fuels including a wide range of resources, conversion processes and products
Date: Tuesday, Sep. 30, 11:15-15:55 JST
Moderators: Dr. Thabo Hlalele (CSIR, South Africa), Dr. David Harris (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia)
In an era of increasing energy transition, the session aims to explore innovative pathways for sustainable fuel production. This session encompasses technologies for the wide range of resources and their conversion processes, including biomass, carbon, and nitrogen as potential feedstocks, and the use of hydrogen and ammonia. The scope of session covers a wide range of research areas such as thermal catalytic, biocatalytic, biochemical, electrochemical conversion processes, their social acceptance, regulatory aspects, and extend to the topic of SAFs.
Theme 2 Energy storage with a focus on grid-scale storage for renewables
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 1, 9:00-11:50 JST
Moderators: Dr. Pierre SERRE-COMBE (The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, France), Dr. Ratih Damayanti (National Research and Innovation Agency, Indonesia)
The session delves into the latest advancements in energy storage technologies, emphasizing their critical role in integrating renewable energy sources into the grid. This session covers a range of topics, including grid-scale energy storage solutions such as batteries, hydro and thermal storage, as well as long-duration energy storage options. Participants will explore the technical and economic challenges associated with large-scale energy storage deployment, examine case studies, and real-world applications.
Theme 3 AI and digitalization to accelerate research for energy technology innovation, development and deployment
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 1, 14:00-16:50 JST
Moderators: Dr. Tomonori Honda (AIST, Japan), Dr. Sangjin Choi (Korea Institute of Energy Research, Korea)
The session focuses on the role of AI and digitalization in accelerating research, innovation, development, and deployment of energy technologies. We will explore how AI can optimize energy consumption, predict maintenance needs, improve grid stability, and contribute to energy research and development. Furthermore, the session delves into the integration of digitalization in energy systems to facilitate real-time monitoring and decision-making processes. It also covers topics such as risks associated with connectivity, data privacy, and cybersecurity, as well as the necessity for standardization.
Leaders Session Highlight
For details and the latest program, please visit here. *The program is subject to change.
Date: Friday, Oct. 3, 9:00-12:05 JST
The Leaders Session consists of keynote speeches and roundtable discussions, where leaders of RD20 member research institutions discuss the realization of international collaboration through RD20. Keynote speeches will be delivered by Dr. Akira Yoshino, Director of the Global Zero Emission Research Center (GZR), AIST, Prof. Dr. Bernd Rech of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie (HZB), and more.
Additionally, taskforces which are now active in RD20 will share their research activity and outcomes. The taskforce aims to achieve research objectives requiring urgent collaboration as RD20 to realize a carbon neutral society: establishing globally consistent Photovoltaic (PV) performance characterization techniques for novel PV devices and disseminating the knowledge to the PV community for further expansion of solar power; and conducting hydrogen Life Cycle Sustainability Assessments (LCSA) and Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) to advance its adoption, a globally significant energy carrier.
About RD20
RD20 is an “initiative” for international research and development aiming to strengthen international collaboration by leading research institutes in G20 countries and regions that develop the world’s most advanced technologies for achieving carbon neutrality.
The 7th RD20 conference has been officially recognized by the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition as a “Theme Weeks Connect”—an official offsite program of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. The conference is part of “SDGs+Beyond Future Society for Life,” one of the eight official theme weeks of Expo 2025. The conference information is also available on the official Theme Week website.
https://theme-weeks.expo2025.or.jp/en/