Developing a breakthrough technology is only part of the innovation journey. Creating the conditions for its successful deployment is the next challenge.

This was one of the key messages PNO Innovation brought to the 8th International Conference on Chemical Looping (ICCL 2026), held at The University of Manchester from 31 August to 4 September.

The conference gathered leading researchers, technology developers and industrial players to discuss the latest advances in chemical looping and their potential contribution to industrial decarbonisation. PNO Innovation participated as a partner of the Horizon Europe COUPLED project, which is demonstrating at TRL7 an integrated process for renewable fuel production based on green hydrogen, biogas, recycled CO₂ and low-quality waste gases.

Throughout the week, COUPLED partners showcased progress across different areas of the project, from chemical looping technology and reactor design to the development of the pilot unit currently under construction at Helical Enterprises and planned for installation at the SNAM site.

But moving from promising technology to industrial application requires looking beyond technological readiness.

This was the focus of Coline Perrin, Innovation Consultant at PNO Innovation, who contributed to the workshop “From Idea to Commercialization with Horizon Europe Projects”, jointly organised by COUPLED, Bio-FlexCLC and Bio-MeGaFuel.

Using COUPLED as a concrete case, PNO explored how Strategic Intelligence, stakeholder analysis and ecosystem mapping can help technology developers understand their deployment environment, identify relevant actors and collaboration opportunities, strengthen market positioning and define pathways towards industrial uptake.

The message is clear: innovation does not reach the market through technology alone. Successful deployment requires an understanding of where a solution fits, who needs to be involved, which barriers need to be addressed and how funding, market and industrial strategies can support its scale-up.

For PNO Innovation, this is where research, innovation management and strategic intelligence come together: turning technological progress into informed decisions and creating stronger pathways from research to market.