Platform 3: Establishing ReMake Business models and Supply Chain

Challenge

Circular business models (CBMs) support the circular economy by improving resource efficiency and tackling the economic, environmental, and social drawbacks of the traditional linear model. However, uptake of CBMs in high-integrity sectors remains low due to limited awareness, understanding, and evidence of successful implementation.

Further research is essential to identify optimal practices, relevant performance metrics, and enabling digital technologies, along with case studies to monitor the effectiveness of CBMs across value and supply chains. 

Goal

Create and validate practical, scalable circular business models (CBM) alongside case studies to monitor CBM effectiveness across value and supply chain.  

Key Themes

  • Value chain map of resource flows and stakeholders
  • Workshops and webinars to enhance CBM understanding, skills and knowledge 
  • Develop tools for CBMs adoption and implementation

Team Members

Key contributors to this area are:

Fiona Charnley

Professor Fiona Charnley

Professor of Circular Innovation
University of Exeter

Fiona Charnley is Professor of Circular Innovation and Co-Director of the Exeter Centre for the Circular Economy. She also co-directs the UKRI National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Hub at the University of Exeter Business School. Fiona has published extensively on design, innovation, and manufacturing for a circular economy. She leads several government and industry-funded research projects on topics such as digital technology for circular innovation, circular healthcare, fashion, textiles, and business models for value retention. Fiona chairs the EPSRC Manufacturing and Circular Economy Theme Strategic Advisory Board and is a Senior Associate of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.

Dr Abu-Bakar Halid

Dr Abu-Bakar Halid

Research Fellow
University of Exeter

Dr Halid Abu-Bakar is a Research Fellow in Circular Economy Value Retention at the University of Exeter Business School’s CE-Hub, where he leads the business model and supply chain strand of the UKRI-funded ReMake Value Retention Centre. He also serves as a Senior Associate and academic supervisor at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, supporting executive learners on the Postgraduate Diploma and Master of Studies in Sustainable Business. His interdisciplinary work bridges data science, strategic foresight, and sustainability science, with a focus on developing decision-ready tools, most notably contributing scenario-based analytics to the UK’s national Circular Economy Roadmap.
Dr Abu-Bakar has developed a global circular economy dashboard aggregating indicators from over 120 countries and has served as a lead expert to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), where he led value chain opportunity mapping for Ghana’s three key sectors, agro-processing, plastics, and textiles. He continues to advise on transforming these opportunities into national priorities and incubation-ready business models, and also led the design of Ghana’s circular economy curriculum for tertiary education and business training. His peer-reviewed research spans circular economy roadmapping and other CE strategic frameworks, underpinning collaborations with DEFRA, UNECE, and international industry partners. Recognised for his ability to translate complex sustainability and security challenges into actionable strategies, he is a renowned advisor and educator at the intersection of policy, analytics, and innovation.