ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Their core work

The OECD serves as the world's leading intergovernmental think tank on economic and innovation policy, providing data-driven analysis that shapes government decisions across 38 member countries. In H2020, the OECD delivered policy analysis on R&D tax incentives, innovation measurement, public sector innovation, energy transitions, and transport decarbonisation — acting as the European Commission's analytical partner rather than a technology developer. Their work produces taxonomies, indicators, microdata analyses, and policy recommendations that directly inform how governments design and evaluate research and innovation support programmes.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2016–2018), the OECD focused primarily on foundational policy infrastructure: building R&I taxonomies (REITER), studying tax incentives for research (TAX4INNO), and launching the Public Sector Innovation Observatory (OPSI). From 2019 onward, the focus shifted decisively toward energy and climate policy — clean energy transition indicators, transport decarbonisation, and support for emerging economies — while continuing innovation measurement work with more sophisticated microdata methods (MABIS, MapProdIGI). The recent period also introduced a new line in regulatory science with NANOMET, suggesting growing interest in standards-setting beyond pure economic policy.

The OECD is pivoting from abstract innovation measurement toward applied energy and transport decarbonisation policy, making them increasingly relevant for green transition projects needing policy analysis components.

How they like to work

The OECD operates exclusively as a sole coordinator in H2020, running all 15 projects independently with zero consortium partners recorded. This reflects its unique status as an intergovernmental organisation that receives direct Commission service contracts (Coordination and Support Actions) rather than joining research consortia. Working with the OECD means commissioning their analytical capacity, not building a joint consortium — they function as an institutional policy analysis provider to the EU.

The OECD has no recorded consortium partners in H2020, operating as a standalone coordinator on all 15 projects. Their real network is their 38 member governments and associated policy communities, which they mobilise outside formal consortium structures.

What sets them apart

The OECD is the only organisation in H2020 that combines global policy authority with granular microdata analysis across dozens of national economies simultaneously. Unlike universities or consultancies that study policy, the OECD's recommendations directly shape national R&I frameworks — their analyses become the benchmarks governments use. For any project needing a policy analysis, international benchmarking, or regulatory standards component, the OECD brings unmatched institutional credibility and access to government-level data that no other partner can provide.

Highlights from their portfolio

• CETEE
  Largest project at EUR 3.5M — IEA-OECD collaboration supporting clean energy transitions in emerging economies, signalling the OECD's expanding role beyond member countries.
• REITER
  Ran through three consecutive phases (2016–2022), building the EU's core R&I policy taxonomy — a foundational data infrastructure that other projects and policymakers depend on.
• OPSI
  Created the Observatory of Public Sector Innovation, a unique platform turning government innovation from ad-hoc experiments into systematic, measurable practice across countries.