ECORYS NEDERLAND BV

Their core work

Ecorys is a major Dutch economic research and policy consultancy that provides evaluation, impact assessment, and socioeconomic analysis for transport, maritime, and urban development projects. In H2020, they contribute market studies, governance frameworks, behavioral analysis, and policy recommendations rather than technical R&D. Their role is translating research findings into actionable policy and business strategies, particularly in sustainable transport and the blue economy.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Early H2020 work (2015–2018) focused broadly on maritime multi-use planning, inland waterway innovation, and urban transport node analysis — classic policy research across both marine and transport domains. From 2020 onward, their projects converge on two sharper themes: ocean observation infrastructure (GROOM II) and data-driven urban mobility with explicit focus on behavioral change and governance (SCALE-UP). The shift suggests growing specialization in evidence-based evaluation of user behavior and uptake of sustainable solutions.

Ecorys is moving from broad policy studies toward data-driven behavioral evaluation in clean mobility and marine observation — expect them to seek projects combining governance analysis with real-world uptake measurement.

How they like to work

Ecorys operates exclusively as a consortium partner, never leading projects — consistent with a consultancy that provides evaluation and policy expertise rather than core R&D. With 92 unique partners across just 6 projects, they work in large, diverse consortia (averaging 15+ partners per project). This broad partner base suggests they are a trusted, easy-to-integrate partner rather than a tightly-knit repeat collaborator.

Exceptionally broad network of 92 partners across 19 countries from only 6 projects, indicating participation in large pan-European consortia. Their Rotterdam base and project focus suggest strong connections across Northern and Western European transport and maritime research communities.

What sets them apart

Unlike technical research partners, Ecorys brings professional-grade socioeconomic evaluation, governance analysis, and policy translation to consortia — the bridge between research outputs and real-world adoption. Their combination of transport AND marine expertise in a single consultancy is uncommon, making them valuable for cross-domain projects. For consortium builders, they offer a credible, large-firm evaluation partner that strengthens the policy impact dimension of any proposal.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SCALE-UP
  Their largest H2020 project (EUR 310K), focused on behavioral change and data-driven clean mobility — represents their most recent strategic direction.
• GROOM II
  A major marine research infrastructure project (2020–2024) on underwater glider networks, showing Ecorys can contribute to hard-science ocean observation consortia.
• VitalNodes
  Urban transport nodes coordination action (EUR 257K) demonstrating their ability to build lasting expert networks and deliver evidence-based policy recommendations.