NOORT HARMANNUS

Their core work

HCP International (operating under Harmannus Noort / Conradus Pieter) is a Netherlands-based private consultancy specializing in Earth observation applications for food security and water resource management in Africa. They contribute expertise in remote sensing, climate services, and data assimilation to large international research consortia. Their work bridges satellite-derived environmental data with practical decision support systems for agriculture, weather services, and water management in developing regions.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

The organization entered H2020 with a strong focus on food security in Africa, combining remote sensing with climate services and decision support systems (AfriCultuReS, 2017). Over time, the focus broadened from agriculture-specific applications toward general environmental monitoring — first weather and water data services (TWIGA, 2018), then Copernicus-based water sensing (WaterSENSE, 2020). The trajectory shows a consistent thread of Earth observation applied to environmental challenges in developing regions, with a gradual shift from food-centric to water-centric applications.

Moving toward Copernicus-integrated water resource monitoring, suggesting future involvement in EU Earth observation and environmental data service projects.

How they like to work

Exclusively a participant — never a coordinator — suggesting they operate as a specialized contributor bringing niche expertise to larger consortia rather than leading projects. With 42 unique partners across just 3 projects, they work in large, diverse international consortia (averaging 14+ partners per project). This profile indicates a flexible, low-overhead partner that integrates well into big multi-national teams without demanding a leadership role.

Despite only 3 projects, they have built a remarkably broad network of 42 partners across 19 countries, reflecting the large-scale, Africa-focused international consortia they participate in. Their geographic connections span Europe and Africa extensively.

What sets them apart

Their distinctive value lies in applying European Earth observation capabilities (Copernicus, GMES & Africa) to practical food and water challenges in African contexts — a niche where deep technical remote sensing skills meet development-oriented application knowledge. As a lean private entity, they can plug into large consortia with minimal overhead while contributing specialized data integration and climate service expertise. For consortium builders targeting Africa-focused Copernicus or GEO calls, they offer proven experience in exactly this intersection.

Highlights from their portfolio

• AfriCultuReS
  Their largest project (EUR 281K) and most comprehensive scope, combining food security, remote sensing, climate services, and decision support for African agriculture.
• TWIGA
  Focused on transforming raw weather and water data into actionable information services for African growth — bridging Earth observation with practical service delivery.