ZABALA BRUSSELS

Their core work

ZABALA BRUSSELS is the Belgian office of Zabala Innovation, a consultancy specializing in EU project management, dissemination, communication, and business model development. They join H2020 consortia — predominantly as a third party or support partner — to handle outreach, media strategy, citizen engagement, and the translation of technical results into viable business models. Their work spans energy, circular economy, digital transformation, and rural development, always in a cross-cutting advisory capacity rather than as a technology developer.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2016–2018), ZABALA BRUSSELS focused on technical energy topics — supercritical CO2 cycles, solar photovoltaics, and circular economy product-service systems — supporting consortia working on hard engineering demonstrations. From 2019 onward, their focus shifted markedly toward softer, strategic work: media communication, public awareness, citizen engagement, rural development, and energy efficiency policy. This evolution reflects a move from technology-adjacent support roles toward communication, dissemination, and community engagement services.

ZABALA BRUSSELS is increasingly positioning itself as a dissemination and public engagement specialist, making them a strong partner for projects that need professional communication strategies and citizen-facing outreach.

How they like to work

ZABALA BRUSSELS never leads consortia — they operate exclusively as participants or third parties, with the majority (7 of 11) being third-party arrangements. This is the signature pattern of a service provider embedded in larger consortia to deliver specific work packages (typically communication, exploitation, or business modelling). With 145 unique partners across 22 countries, they maintain a broad but non-repetitive network, joining different consortia each time rather than working with a fixed cluster of partners.

Extensive European network spanning 145 unique partners across 22 countries, reflecting their role as a consultancy that plugs into diverse consortia rather than building a fixed partnership cluster. Their Brussels base gives them proximity to EU institutions and policy networks.

What sets them apart

ZABALA BRUSSELS brings a rare combination: they understand both the technical substance of energy and circular economy projects AND the communication and business model work needed to make results reach real markets and citizens. As part of the wider Zabala Innovation group, they offer professional-grade dissemination and exploitation services that go beyond what most technical partners can deliver in-house. For consortium builders, they solve the perennial problem of WP communication and exploitation being underpowered.

Highlights from their portfolio

• DigiFed
  Their largest funded project (EUR 266K) and a shift into digital transformation, supporting Digital Innovation Hub federation across Europe.
• CIRCUSOL
  A flagship circular economy demonstrator for solar power — combining business model innovation with photovoltaics, batteries, and second-life products.
• FETFX
  Pure communication and outreach project for Future and Emerging Technologies, showcasing their core dissemination expertise at its most focused.