Stichting Hanzehogeschool Groningen

Their core work

Hanze University of Applied Sciences is a Dutch university of applied sciences based in Groningen that bridges SME innovation support with urban energy transition research. They operate as the regional Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) hub for Northern Netherlands, coaching SMEs on innovation capacity and EU funding instruments. In parallel, they participate in large-scale energy demonstration projects focused on smart cities, positive energy districts, and island decarbonization. Their applied research profile means they focus on real-world implementation and citizen engagement rather than fundamental science.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 work (2016-2018) centered on energy storage technologies and smart city demonstrations alongside their ongoing EEN innovation support role. From 2019 onward, they expanded into open manufacturing, co-creation with makers and citizens, and island-scale decarbonization including geothermal hydrogen. The shift shows a move from participating in large energy infrastructure projects toward more community-driven, circular economy approaches while maintaining their SME coaching backbone.

Hanze is moving toward citizen-centered energy transition and circular manufacturing — expect future work combining local energy communities with maker-driven innovation.

How they like to work

Hanze operates as both a project coordinator (for their EEN regional support grants) and an active partner in large Innovation Action consortia. With 134 unique partners across 19 countries, they connect to a wide European network but don't appear to dominate consortia — their role is typically as an applied research and regional implementation partner. Their coordination experience is limited to the recurring EEN grants, suggesting they are a reliable consortium member rather than a large-consortium leader.

They have collaborated with 134 unique partners across 19 countries, giving them a broad European network. Their geographic base in Northern Netherlands positions them well for North Sea energy and Nordic collaboration contexts.

What sets them apart

Hanze occupies a distinctive niche as a university of applied sciences that simultaneously runs the regional EEN hub and participates in large energy demonstration projects. This dual role means they understand both the SME perspective (what businesses need) and the research project perspective (what technologies are available). For consortium builders, they bring citizen engagement expertise, regional SME networks in Northern Netherlands, and a practical, implementation-oriented mindset rather than a purely academic one.

Highlights from their portfolio

• MAKING-CITY
  Long-running smart city transformation project (2018-2024) with their second-largest budget (EUR 592,938), focused on positive energy districts and citizen-driven urban planning.
• LIBBIO
  Their largest single EC contribution (EUR 617,500) and an unusual diversification into bio-based economy and biorefineries — outside their typical energy focus.
• IANOS
  Most recent major project (2020-2025) combining island decarbonization, geothermal hydrogen, and local energy communities — signals their future direction.