Circular Economy Centre
The world population is increasing – we aim to address the impact of rapid industrialisation and alleviate the environmental and societal impact through our cutting-edge research.
Who we are
A diverse group made up of researchers, faculty and industry professionals, we are thought leaders in the area of circular economy.
Drawing on the rich expertise of the Business School and the wider University, we contribute to the international conversation around vital economic issues.
What we do
How do we establish fundamental development issues in the area of the circular economy? By exploring current ‘linear’ growth models vs. the circular model. Current ‘linear’ growth models are adopted by most companies and countries – these are heavily based on using up resources. The circular model requires firms to come up with disruptive technology and business models that are based on longevity, renewability, reuse, repair, upgrade, refurbishment, servitisation, capacity sharing and dematerialisation.
We drill down into the ways in which businesses can focus on rethinking products and services as well as customer propositions, not just cost-cutting. Extracting the most value from those resources in the most effective way possible, and then recovering and regenerating those materials and products is an important step in creating a circular economic structure. We are working towards a better world by inspiring new strands of thought and business models.
Research
Our research focuses on circular economy, circular business models and their application, as well as the policy and business contexts within which they operate.
Publications
Access research publications, reports and books from faculty and associates from the Circular Economy Centre at Cambridge Judge.
Courses
We aim to build a global reputation for excellence with our events, and plans are in the works for several exciting workshops and conferences set to take place soon. Our previous events and projects were of an extremely high calibre, and you can read more about them below.
Our impact
Our work at the Circular Economy Centre at Cambridge Judge has demonstrated in a very short time that a keen impact on how businesses and policymakers’ approach very important objectives of reduction, reuse and recycling is not just necessary, but possible.
Explore some of our standout projects:
We are developing an innovative framework of interplay between the circular economy and the Internet of Things along with European academic institutions and practitioners. Through this project, many students, under the supervision and guidance of Dr Soufani, the Centre’s director, provide consultancy services to the different industry partners. These services help partners to leverage the interplay between the circular economy and IoT, and to explore novel ways to change the nature of products, services, business models and ecosystems accordingly.
We are part of the University’s Cambridge Creative Circular Plastics Centre (CirPlas), which aims to eliminate plastic waste by combining innovative thinking with practical measures, connecting expertise across the disciplines, and collaborating with industry and local government.
Together with Professor Jaideep Prabhu, we were involved in the organisation of InnoFrugal UK, a conference bringing together academics, managers, and entrepreneurs to discuss ways to advance the circular economy and concepts of frugal innovation. Both the circular economy and frugal innovation can help companies to maximise the value and usage of the resources that they need, ensuring the combination of growth with the protection of the planet. At this event, businesses and researchers had the opportunity to share best practices as well as issues encountered, and this prompted new creative solutions and approaches to do more with less.
News and insights from the Circular Economy Centre
Read the latest news and insights from the Circular Economy Centre. To stay up to date with our events, latest projects, report launches and news by signing up to our mailing list.
Research centre news
UN report: circular economy boosted by digital tech
United Nations posts report authored at the Circular Economy Centre on how digitisation can advance circular economy principles and help meet UN goals on responsible consumption and production.
ESG and sustainability
4 techniques to help companies embrace sustainability
Companies often struggle to adopt circular principles, but 4 key models can help firms reduce resource use and fossil fuel consumption, says research at the Circular Economy Centre.
Finance and accounting
Professor Khaled Soufani: from financial markets to circular economy
Khaled Soufani, Management Practice Professor of Financial Economics & Policy, describes his journey to be Director of the Circular Economy Centre at Cambridge Judge and suggests how we can all adopt sustainable principles into our everyday lives.