Circular Economy Innovation Network

The Circular Economy Innovation Network aimed to enable stronger, more resilient industries working together, connecting, collaborating, and sharing experiences to achieve Net Zero through circular innovation.

Developing a circular future

In the UK most of what we use and consume flows through a take, make, waste economy. By contrast in a Circular Economy products or their component parts are returned or processed so they can be repaired for reuse, resold, refurbished or remanufactured, or reduced to composite elements for recycling.

Material flows in a circular supply chain focus on retaining the value of materials at the highest value for the longest time, i.e. extending the lifecycle of a product: instead of just recycling the material or sending it to a landfill, an item is returned to begin a new journey in the supply chain. A Circular Economy supply chain can help ameliorate the upfront investments made in carbon, energy, water, chemicals, labour, money etc. by designing out waste from the outset.

Circular Economy focus areas

By adopting a Circular Economy framework and building collaborative communities aligned to three key principles we aimed to inspire industry members to come together to reduce environmental impact and achieve Net Zero goals through circular innovation.
Circular Design

Circular Design

A crucial element in the circular economy, encompassing material selection, user interaction, and end-of-life.

Circular Business Models

Circular Business Models

How materials and products move around the economy can offer new commercial opportunities.

Circular Recovery

Circular Recovery

Retaining assets across the value chains and procurement can reduce expenses and risk in the supply chains.


What we have learnt

Research shows specialist collaborations produce results that wouldn’t be possible when people think and work in isolation. We are focused on three Challenge Communities: Wool, Aluminium, and Chemicals; which convened and consulted across the value chain to co-create a Circular Innovation Action Plan for each of the sectors. These Action Plans identified the key barriers preventing progress towards Net Zero and highlighted how Innovation for a Circular Economy can help overcome these barriers.

As part of this process, each of the cross-sector communities agreed on two challenges they wanted to tackle together. We explored potential solutions and brokered new relationships and collaborations between established industries, innovators and academia, for example, by using our Innovation Exchange, or the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships platforms.

These and other IUK Business Connect Programmes facilitated these relationships, matching the right businesses and institutions to work together.

Circular Action Plans

Testimonials

Our Experts

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