Foresight Seminar #21: Innovation in Energy Use

June 15, 2026, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM (PDT)

NEDO successfully hosted the 21st Foresight Seminar, that focused on “Innovation in Energy Use.”

Innovation and development in energy use have remained major topics for many years, given their critical role in driving economic growth and sustainability. This seminar brought together leading experts and innovators from industry, academia, R&D, and the investment community to discuss how emerging technologies are creating real-world impact and shaping the future of energy use.

The seminar opened with remarks from the Director General of NEDO Silicon Valley, Sosuke Tanaka, who provided an overview of Japan’s energy policies and introduced NEDO’s international demonstration project initiatives. Richard Weinberg, Sr. Consultant, USAsia Venture Partners, then delivered an insightful introduction on the current global energy landscape.

The program featured distinguished speakers, Prof. Ronjon Nag (Stanford Medicine, Founder, R42 Ventures), Jeral Poskey (CEO, Swyft Cities), Giovanni Alvarez (Mechanical Engineer, Stanford Energy Operations) and Dr. Jeslu Celine Jacob (Postdoctoral Fellow,  Stanford Sustainability Accelerator). Their presentations explored a wide range of cutting-edge innovations in energy use, reflecting the multidisciplinary nature of the field.

The topics included:

• Long-duration energy storage and other emerging energy technologies

• Innovative approaches to intra-city transportation

• Efficient large-scale heating and cooling systems

• Strategies for reducing energy consumption in building air conditioning

  
  

The seminar generated significant interest among attendees and led to engaging and interactive Q&A sessions. That allowed participants to further explore the vast opportunities presented by these technological advancements.

We extend our sincere appreciation to all the speakers for sharing their expertise and valuable insights, as well as to every participant whose engagement helped make this seminar a great success.

We hope this opportunity helped foster collaboration between Japanese and U.S. technologies and businesses. We look forward to welcoming you to our future events.