SCHMIDT NORBERT CARL

Their core work

DDQ is a Netherlands-based private specialist in citizen science methodologies and environmental monitoring technologies. Their work bridges the gap between professional earth observation systems and community-driven data collection, designing platforms and sensor networks that enable non-expert citizens to generate scientifically valid environmental data. In MONOCLE they contributed to developing low-cost optical sensors deployable on UAVs, ships, and buoys for coastal and inland water quality monitoring. In COS4CLOUD they helped build cloud-based services that integrate citizen observatory data into the European Open Science Cloud, connecting biodiversity and environmental quality datasets from platforms like iNaturalist-equivalents (artportalen, natusfera, ispot) with research infrastructure.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their earlier project (MONOCLE, 2018), DDQ focused on the hardware and deployment side of environmental monitoring — sensors on UAVs, ships, and buoys — combined with market analysis and capacity building, suggesting a commercial advisory or go-to-market role within the consortium. By their second project (COS4CLOUD, 2019), the focus shifted decisively toward open science infrastructure: EOSC integration, cloud services, big data, and the governance of citizen observatories rather than the sensors themselves. The thread connecting both phases is citizen science, but the evolution runs from instrumentation-level participation toward platform-level and open data architecture work.

DDQ appears to be moving toward open science data infrastructure and citizen observatory governance, positioning them as a natural partner for projects that need to connect community-generated environmental data with European research platforms like EOSC.

How they like to work

DDQ participates exclusively as a consortium partner — they have not led any H2020 project. With 23 unique partners across 11 countries across just two projects, they operate within large, internationally distributed consortia rather than tight bilateral collaborations. This suggests they contribute as a specialized node rather than driving overall project direction, likely bringing domain-specific citizen science or market expertise that complements larger technical partners.

DDQ has built a notably broad network for a two-project participant — 23 unique partners across 11 countries, consistent with the large multi-partner consortia typical of environmental observation RIAs. Their collaborative reach is European in scope, with no indication of a narrow national or regional focus.

What sets them apart

DDQ occupies a rare intersection of citizen science methodology, environmental sensor deployment, and open data infrastructure — a combination that very few private companies (as opposed to universities or research institutes) bring to EU consortia. Their presence in both a hardware-oriented water quality project and a cloud/open science platform project suggests they can serve as a bridge between field monitoring teams and digital infrastructure developers. For a consortium builder, DDQ offers credibility in community engagement and data democratization without the overhead of an academic institution.

Highlights from their portfolio

• COS4CLOUD
  The larger of the two projects (EUR 362,256) and the most forward-looking, directly targeting EOSC integration and building reusable cloud services for citizen observatories across multiple biodiversity platforms.
• MONOCLE
  Demonstrates DDQ's applied environmental monitoring credentials, covering an unusually diverse sensor deployment portfolio — UAVs, ships, and buoys — for optical water quality monitoring across coastal and inland water bodies.