NOVA-INSTITUT FUR POLITISCHE UND OKOLOGISCHE INNOVATION GMBH

Their core work

Nova-Institut is a German private research and consultancy firm specializing in bio-based and renewable materials, bioeconomy strategy, and industrial biotechnology. They provide market studies, technology assessments, policy analysis, and standardization support for the transition from fossil-based to bio-based chemicals, polymers, and materials. Their work spans the full value chain — from biomass feedstock sourcing and biorefinery processes to bio-based product development, sustainability assessment, and bioeconomy monitoring. They act as a knowledge bridge between research consortia and industry, translating scientific advances into market-ready strategies.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015–2018), Nova-Institut focused heavily on bioeconomy strategy, standards, and policy frameworks — projects like InnProBio, STAR4BBI, SUPERBIO, and RoadToBio all addressed how to build the regulatory and market foundations for bio-based industries. They also worked on first-generation feedstock processing (oil crops, sugarbeet pulp, forestry biomass). From 2019 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward advanced bio-based materials (functional coatings, thermoset polymers, bio-based polyesters) and CO2 utilization chemistry, reflecting a move from "what should the bioeconomy look like" to "how do we make specific bio-based products at scale."

Nova-Institut is moving from bioeconomy policy and monitoring toward hands-on development of specific bio-based products — particularly functional coatings, bio-polyesters, and CO2-derived chemicals — making them increasingly relevant for industrial material replacement projects.

How they like to work

Nova-Institut exclusively participates as a partner rather than leading consortia, which positions them as a trusted specialist contributor that project coordinators bring in for specific expertise — typically market analysis, sustainability assessment, or bio-based material knowledge. With 226 unique partners across 26 countries, they maintain an exceptionally broad network, suggesting they are a well-known and frequently sought-after partner in the European bioeconomy community. Their consistent participation across RIA, BBI, and CSA schemes shows they are comfortable in both research-heavy and coordination/support roles.

With 226 unique consortium partners across 26 countries over 21 projects, Nova-Institut has one of the densest collaboration networks in the European bioeconomy space. Their partnerships span nearly all EU member states, with particularly strong ties to Western European industrial and research hubs.

What sets them apart

Nova-Institut occupies a rare niche: they combine deep technical knowledge of bio-based chemistry and materials with strong capabilities in market analysis, policy assessment, and bioeconomy monitoring. Most partners in this space are either pure research labs or pure consultancies — Nova-Institut bridges both, which makes them especially valuable for projects that need to demonstrate not just technical feasibility but also market readiness and regulatory compliance. Their 21-project track record and massive partner network mean they bring institutional knowledge of how European bioeconomy projects actually work.

Highlights from their portfolio

• BioMonitor
  Their largest single grant (EUR 569K) and a flagship effort to build methodology for monitoring the entire European bioeconomy — positions them as the go-to source for bioeconomy data and metrics.
• PEFerence
  An exceptionally long-running project (2017–2025) focused on PEF bio-polyester as a PET replacement — one of the most commercially promising bio-based material value chains in Europe.
• CATCO2NVERS
  Their most recent project (2021–2025) combining catalytic, electrocatalytic, and enzymatic CO2 conversion — signals their strategic move into carbon utilization chemistry.