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Our Research and Knowledge Work

Our research provides the evidence needed to inform decisions, influence policy, improve delivery, and drive practical action towards a thriving circular economy in Scotland.

As an organisation, we are driven by evidence and insight to inform everything we do. We draw on existing research wherever possible and carry out or commission new research where there are clear gaps in knowledge – particularly where evidence is needed to support strategic decisions and real-world change.

Our focus is on high-quality, impactful research grounded in practical needs, helping to shape policy, inform delivery and accelerate progress towards a more circular economy in Scotland. 
 

Our Areas of Research Interest

Our research and knowledge work is centred on the evidence needed to rewire Scotland’s economy towards circularity. As such, we generate insight across multiple levels – from products, businesses and sectors to the wider economic system.

Our research is focused on four core thematic priorities:
 

We explore the economic, social and policy conditions required to enable a circular economy. This includes generating data and applying economic modelling to understand the impacts of a circular economy transition as well as tracking progress in Scotland. We work in partnership with Scottish Government and others to identify how policy can act as an effective lever for change.

Our current work in this area focuses on circular procurement, product stewardship and the development of analytical tools, such as the Scottish Materials Flow Accounts, the Circular Jobs Tracker and the Scottish Waste Environmental Footprint Tool (SWEFT).

We focus on sectors with significant potential to drive change towards circularity, working collaboratively to develop evidence, test interventions and scale solutions.

Our work spans the built environment, energy infrastructure, the bioeconomy and textiles. Current projects include system mapping of the built environment and energy infrastructure sectors, work on material reuse in construction (CirCoFin) and analysis to support the rollout of clean heat systems across Scotland.

We investigate how materials flow through the economy and identify opportunities to keep them in use for longer.

Our research supports the development of infrastructure, systems and interventions that enable circular material use. This includes work on food systems and food waste, recycling systems and the analysis of material value chains and future demand. 

We examine how circular practices can be embedded within businesses and local communities.

This includes developing and testing approaches to business support, place-based innovation and local circular economy initiatives. Examples include the Glasgow Circular City Project as well as work on reuse and repair models. 

Our Approach

Across these themes, we apply a range of interdisciplinary research methods, including:

  • Behavioural science and behaviour change
  • Systems thinking
  • Lifecycle analysis
  • Impact assessment
  • Macro- and microeconomic analysis
  • Economic modelling
  • Design and evaluation of targeted interventions
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How we Work and Collaborate

Our research & knowledge work is underpinned by a set of principles that shape how we work with others:

Collaboration is central to how we deliver value. Strong partnerships are a core part of our Corporate Strategy, and we actively work with academic, applied, and practice‑based knowledge organisations.

We are applied and impact‑focused. Much of our research underpins practical delivery – supporting government, local authorities, businesses, and others in their circular economy journeys – while also tackling deeper systemic questions where evidence is lacking.

We combine in‑house expertise with commissioned research. As a small organisation with a wide remit, we both deliver research internally and commission work from expert consultants. In all cases, we strive for rigour, robustness, and transparency, guided by our Research Excellence Standards.

We work to defined timelines. Our projects often require a longer set‑up phase to ensure best value and good governance as a public body, but once underway, we aim to deliver at pace and with a clear purpose.

We publish openly. We aim to make all of our research and evaluation findings publicly available through open reports, supporting learning and impact beyond individual projects.
 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Have a question about our research and knowledge work? Explore our FAQs to learn more about how we collaborate, the organisations we work with, our research approaches, and how we ensure quality and impact across our projects.

Yes, we are always interested in exploring opportunities for research collaboration. As a public body, we need time to assess best value and governance requirements for any collaboration opportunities, so please get in touch with us as early as possible. 

While our capacity is limited, we are happy to share our networks and offer advice on next steps. If you are unsure how to develop the evidence you need or where to get started, please feel free to get in touch.

We know from experience the value of different kinds of knowledge: academic, applied or based on lived experience. As such, we work with universities, research and innovation centres, third sector organisations, private businesses, public bodies and others.

All of our research & evaluation findings are published on our Knowledge Hub. 

We use a variety of techniques in our research & knowledge work, driven by our team’s expertise and project needs. Check out our case studies to read about some of our past knowledge & research collaborations.

All of our research & knowledge work is underpinned by our Research Excellence Standards, a targeted framework embedding good research design, ethics, data management, etc. into project delivery. 

With much of our research focused on people, we also have an in-house ethics committee as well as various impact assessment mechanisms to ensure our approaches are carefully designed and following best practice. 

Our Research & Evaluation Team brings expertise across qualitative and quantitative methods and works closely with delivery colleagues who specialise in embedding circular economy practices. 

Much of our work is policy-driven and thus, we have extensive experience engaging with policy- and decision-makers, such as the Scottish Government.