PNO CONSULTANTS GMBH

Their core work

PNO Consultants GmbH is the German branch of PNO, a European innovation consultancy specializing in EU funding acquisition, project management, and dissemination support for Horizon 2020 projects. Rather than conducting research themselves, they help consortia navigate EU programme requirements, manage communication and exploitation activities, and maximize project impact. Their involvement spans diverse technical domains — from bioeconomy and advanced materials to smart energy and critical raw materials — reflecting their role as a cross-sector advisory partner rather than a domain-specific research performer.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their earlier H2020 period (2015–2018), PNO's projects centered on bioeconomy, biorefinery, and biomass valorization — reflecting the EU's strong push for bio-based industries at the time. From 2018 onward, their portfolio shifted markedly toward energy transition topics (smart charging, renewable energy neighborhoods) and strategic resource security (critical raw materials, rare earths, pegmatite exploration). This evolution mirrors broader EU policy priorities moving from circular bioeconomy toward the Green Deal's focus on energy independence and raw material sovereignty.

PNO Germany is tracking EU strategic priorities closely, positioning itself to support projects in raw material security, process intensification, and green energy — areas likely to dominate Horizon Europe calls.

How they like to work

PNO never coordinates — they join as third parties (5 of 7 projects) or participants (2 of 7), providing advisory and support services to consortia led by others. Despite only 7 projects, they connect to 102 unique partners across 18 countries, indicating they operate as a network connector embedded in large, multi-national consortia. This makes them easy to work with as a non-competing support partner who brings EU programme expertise without overlapping with technical partners.

Despite a modest project count, PNO Germany has built connections to 102 unique consortium partners across 18 countries — a remarkably wide network for a small consultancy, reflecting their parent group's pan-European reach and their role as cross-project connectors.

What sets them apart

PNO's value lies not in technical research but in EU programme navigation — they know how to structure proposals, manage dissemination obligations, and support exploitation planning across any sector. Their cross-domain portfolio (bioeconomy, transport, environment, manufacturing) is a direct result of this sector-agnostic consultancy model. For consortium builders, PNO offers a low-risk, experienced partner for work packages related to communication, dissemination, and project management without competing for technical leadership.

Highlights from their portfolio

• MULTI2HYCAT
  Their largest funded project (EUR 475,000) and one of only two where they served as a direct participant rather than third party, suggesting deeper technical involvement in hybrid catalyst development.
• GREENPEG
  Their most recent project (2020-2024), focused on critical raw materials for green technologies — a high-priority EU strategic topic that signals their current positioning.
• BIOSKOH
  A flagship biorefinery demonstration project (2016-2022) converting biomass to second-generation ethanol, representing PNO's earlier bioeconomy focus.