Collaborating globally to modernise tomorrow’s power systems

In an era in which expert consensus converges on the urgent need to decarbonise energy systems, smart grids have become a cornerstone of the transition towards clean energy. In this context, between 13 and 17 October 2025, Zabala Innovation organised the 30th meeting of the Executive Committee (ExCo) of the International Smart Grid Action Network (ISGAN), hosted by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) in Dublin. It was the first ExCo meeting coordinated by the consultancy since it assumed the role of Operating Agent and Secretariat of ISGAN, an event that marks the beginning of a new operational cycle for the initiative.

“As renewable capacity increases and electricity demand surges, the challenge lies not only in producing more clean energy but in integrating it efficiently and securely into existing grids”, says Edoardo Genova, ISGAN Secretariat leader and senior consultant of Zabala Innovation. “Modern networks must therefore be flexible, resilient, and digitalised – capable of balancing decentralised resources, managing real-time data, and involving consumers and prosumers as active participants”, he adds.

To address this complexity from an international perspective, since its launch in 2011, ISGAN – a joint initiative of the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) – has brought together 27 Contracting Parties, including the European Commission and several national governments. Its aim: to exchange knowledge, promote regulatory innovation, and accelerate the deployment of smarter, cleaner and more interconnected energy systems. Framed within the IEA’s Technology Collaboration Programme (TCP) framework, ISGAN acts as a catalyst for global collaboration and policy innovation in the field of smart grids.

Driving digital and flexible futures

Held every six months, ISGAN’s ExCo meetings are the main governance forum where member countries review progress, set priorities, and align the activities of the TCP and its six Working Groups.

The meeting held in Dublin brought together delegates from 18 countries and the European Commission to discuss how to accelerate digitalisation, interoperability, and flexibility in power systems.

Complementing the formal sessions, two thematic workshops were held at Ireland’s Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment (DECC):

• Advancing interoperability in a fragmented energy system
• Changing structural conditions: Activating flexibilities through price signals

Both events together were attended by more than 100 experts from government, academia and industry, in an effort by ISGAN to connect technical expertise with policy dialogue.

Throughout the week, discussions focused on international cooperation and synergies between ISGAN and other leading initiatives such as the Green Powered Future Mission (GPFM), the Global Smart Energy Federation (GSEF), other IEA TCPs, the European Technology and Innovation Platform for Smart Networks for Energy Transition (ETIP SNET) – whose Secretariat was coordinated by Zabala Innovation until 2023 – the Clean Energy Transition (CET) Partnership, and the Global Power System Transformation Consortium (G-PST).

Contributions from SEAI executives – including Chief Executive Officer William Walsh and Director of Business, Public Sector and Transport Declan Meally – together with representatives from the IEA and CEM, underscored ISGAN’s central role in advancing power system transformation and supporting global clean energy goals.

The meeting also highlighted Zabala Innovation’s first achievements as Secretariat, including the preparation of the Request for Extension to the IEA, a key process ensuring the continuation of ISGAN’s mandate as an IEA Technology Collaboration Programme beyond 2027.

Coordinated by Zabala Innovation in close collaboration with the Presidium – ISGAN’s leadership body that guides and supports the work of the ExCo – and the Korean Co-Secretariat – comprising the Korea Smart Grid Institute (KSGI) and the Korea Power Exchange (KPX) –, this task is essential to guarantee ISGAN’s operational continuity.

In parallel, Zabala Innovation presented a new Communication Work Plan and a redesigned ISGAN website, both aimed at enhancing visibility, accessibility and stakeholder engagement.

Likewise, the newly launched Working Group Synergy Session encouraged direct exchanges between delegates and technical experts, fostering collaboration across ISGAN’s thematic areas.

Leading global cooperation on smart grids

ISGAN is recognised as a fundamental pillar of international energy diplomacy, connecting governments, regulators, system operators and research institutions to shape the policy and technical frameworks of future power systems. Beyond being a platform for dialogue, it acts as a mechanism for collective action, providing evidence-based policy recommendations and sharing best practices to accelerate grid modernisation worldwide.

“Zabala Innovation’s leadership within ISGAN represents a significant milestone, as it is one of the few IEA TCPs coordinated by a private consultancy rather than a research institute or a public agency”, underlines Genova. “This distinction highlights the company’s capacity to manage high-level, trust-based international cooperation structures, engaging directly with ministries, regulators and technical agencies around the world. From the United States to Japan, India, Korea, and almost all EU Member States, Zabala Innovation now stands at the centre of a global network of decision-makers shaping the clean energy transition”, he explains.

Genova notes that, “through ISGAN, Zabala Innovation contributes not only to policy dialogue but also to the operational backbone of international collaboration. Its role encompasses governance and strategic coordination, financial management, stakeholder engagement, and global communication”.

In his words, “this visibility extends Zabala Innovation’s reach beyond European projects, consolidating its position as a trusted partner in the management of intergovernmental platforms driving energy innovation on a global scale”.

In practical terms, ISGAN’s activities – such as its Working Groups on flexibility markets, digitalisation, and smart grid transitions – align closely with Zabala Innovation’s expertise in energy systems, digital technologies, and policy-driven innovation. This cross-sector engagement reinforces the company’s role as a bridge between research, policy, and implementation.

“Alongside initiatives such as SET-IndEU, the ETIPs Forum, and the EDDIE Association, ISGAN represents a distinct and strategic dimension of Zabala Innovation’s work: platform management. Although less visible than project coordination, this area demonstrates the company’s ability to lead complex, multi-stakeholder governance structures operating on a global, rather than purely European, scale”, Genova emphasises.

“Through its coordination of the ISGAN Secretariat, our consultancy continues to strengthen its reputation as a catalyst for sustainable innovation and international cooperation. In doing so, by guiding one of the world’s most influential smart grid initiatives, Zabala Innovation contributes directly to shaping the frameworks and partnerships that will underpin the energy systems of the future”, he concludes.