Staff Services Student Enterprise

People Places Planet

Making ideas work for a better world

Discover the University of Edinburgh’s world leading circular economy expertise which will help you develop innovative ideas to deliver solutions to the global climate crisis, one of the world’s biggest challenges.

Learn about our experts and discover the ways we’ve been working in collaboration to improve the environment for all our communities.

Edinburgh Innovations is the University of Edinburgh’s commercialisation service. We bring University of Edinburgh research to industry, working to identify ideas with value, and facilitating the process of bringing them to life in real-world applications.

We make ideas work for a better world

Access our expertise

Stay connected

Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Join the conversation to stay up to date with the latest advances in research, news and events, all designed to help your business deliver solutions to the world’s biggest challenges.

Contact us

Charlotte Lee-Woolf

Business Development Manager
Social Responsibility and Sustainability

Charlotte.Lee-Woolf@ei.ed.ac.uk

Victoria Darbyshire

Business Development Executive
Circular Economy

Victoria.Darbyshire@ei.ed.ac.uk

Ian Hatch

Head of Business Development at the College of Science and Engineering

Ian.Hatch@ei.ed.ac.uk

Our track record

Discover our successes. Building on our world leading research, Edinburgh Innovations continues to facilitate targeted solutions to combat this global crisis.

Case Study  
Planet vs Plastics
Biotechnology
Circular economy
People, Places and Planet
Sustainability
Case Study  
Eyemouth Marine Innovation Centre
Energy
People, Places and Planet
Renewables
22 Feb 2023
Opinion  
A tidal wave of opportunity
Energy
People, Places and Planet
Renewables
Sustainability
02 Feb 2023
Opinion  
Redefining relationships is key to realising the benefits of a circular economy
Circular economy
People, Places and Planet
Sustainability
13 Dec 2022
Opinion  
COP27 was important, but fighting climate change requires governments to begin at home
People, Places and Planet
Policy, public sector and justice
Sustainability
Case Study  
NatWest Group partnership with the University of Edinburgh
Sustainability
08 Dec 2022
Opinion  
Supercomputer sustainability: a balance between performance and energy efficiency
Energy
People, Places and Planet
Software
Sustainability
Case Study  
It’s a wrap on waste plastic
People, Places and Planet
Sustainability
Case Study  
Engineering biology to replace petrochemicals
Biotechnology
Circular economy
Case Study  
Solution to monitor population displacement
Data, AI & robotics
People, Places and Planet
Space and communications
Sustainability
Case Study  
Planning for sustainability with the Earth Centred Business Design Tool
Data, AI & robotics
People, Places and Planet
Sustainability
25 Nov 2022
Opinion  
We can have sustainable economic growth, if we prioritise innovation
Circular economy
People, Places and Planet
Sustainability
Case Study  
Photo showing the Flowave ocean device testing facility
Innovative engineering at the University of Edinburgh is tackling climate crisis
Circular economy
Energy
People, Places and Planet
Sustainability
15 Nov 2022
News  
'Transformative' energy startup Myriad receives Innovate UK grant
Energy
People, Places and Planet
Sustainability
Case Study  
picture of overturned test tube spilling plastic beads
Plastics – turning a problem into a force for good
Chemistry
Circular economy
People, Places and Planet
Sustainability
Case Study  
The UK from space is surrounded by ocean
Offshore renewables: the untapped potential of ocean energy
Circular economy
Energy
People, Places and Planet
Sustainability
04 Nov 2022
News  
COP27: 12 student and staff entrepreneurs tackling the climate crisis
People, Places and Planet
Startups and spinouts
Sustainability

The Centre for Adapting to Changing Environments

The Centre for Adapting to Changing Environments brings together diverse expertise to address how populations can adapt effectively to our changing environment. Both natural and human induced changes are altering our environment at an unprecedented rate and are having profound effects on our planet, its biodiversity, our health, and our ability to live in a sustainable and equitable way.

The Edinburgh Earth Initiative

The Edinburgh Earth Initiative - our response to the climate crisis. Drawing on strengths from across the University and working with our global partners, we will deliver ambitious solutions for a future that effectively manages and mitigates the effects of climate change.

Image of someone writing a science diagram on a transparent board

Science for Sustainability Hub

The Science for Sustainability Hub acts as a portal to build engagement across research, industry, government and civil society to build a new vision for a sustainable future. It seeks to create collaborations to accelerate its mission to create an equitable, inclusive and sustainable for our planet. Their activities are underpinned by a strong commitment to ethical and socially responsible research, founded on Edinburgh's long-standing strengths in social sciences scholarship.

The Circular Economy Centre

Scotland’s centre for circular economy expertise

The University of Edinburgh is a leading hub for circular knowledge and innovation, through the Circular Economy Centre and the Edinburgh Earth Initiative.

We work together with businesses and other organisations to accelerate the transition to a circular economy by providing access to world-leading research, education and innovation support.