Quercus - Associação nacional de Conservação da natureza

Their core work

Quercus is Portugal's leading nature conservation NGO, bringing environmental advocacy and public engagement expertise into EU research projects. In H2020, they focused on empowering consumers to adopt energy-efficient products (heating, cooling, professional refrigeration) and on developing risk governance frameworks for emerging technologies like nanotechnology. Their role is typically to bridge the gap between technical solutions and public awareness, ensuring that research outcomes translate into real behavioral change among consumers and communities.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015–2018), Quercus concentrated on energy efficiency market transformation — helping consumers choose top-performing refrigeration and appliance products through projects like ProCold and TOPTEN ACT. From 2019 onward, they expanded into nanotechnology risk governance (NANORIGO) and broader heating/cooling system transformation (HACKS), signaling a shift from product-level consumer campaigns toward systemic risk communication and more complex energy transitions. This evolution suggests growing capacity to handle public engagement around emerging and potentially controversial technologies, not just established consumer products.

Quercus is moving from simple consumer awareness campaigns toward more complex public engagement roles involving risk perception, technology acceptance, and systemic energy transitions.

How they like to work

Quercus operates exclusively as a participant, never leading consortia — consistent with an NGO contributing specialized public engagement and advocacy skills rather than managing technical research. With 70 unique partners across 22 countries from just 5 projects, they work in large, diverse consortia (averaging 14+ partners per project). This wide but non-repeated network suggests they are valued as a trusted civil society voice that consortium builders bring in for legitimacy and public outreach rather than as a core technical partner.

Despite only 5 projects, Quercus has collaborated with 70 distinct partners across 22 countries, indicating they consistently join large pan-European consortia. Their network is broad rather than deep — wide geographic coverage with little partner repetition.

What sets them apart

Quercus offers something rare in EU consortia: a credible, nationally recognized environmental NGO that can handle public engagement, consumer behavior change, and risk communication work packages with genuine civil society legitimacy. Unlike consultancies that perform similar tasks, Quercus brings an established public reputation and advocacy network in Portugal, making their involvement more authentic for dissemination and societal impact objectives. For any project needing a Southern European civil society partner with proven experience in energy and environmental public engagement, they are a strong fit.

Highlights from their portfolio

• NANORIGO
  Represents a strategic pivot into nanotechnology risk governance — unusual territory for a nature conservation NGO, signaling broader ambitions in emerging technology risk communication.
• TOPTEN ACT
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 100,800) and a flagship consumer empowerment project for energy-efficient products across Europe.
• HACKS
  Most recent energy project (2019–2023), covering the full heating and cooling value chain including market transformation and non-energy benefits analysis.