Dr. Anne Velenturf

Profile

I am an Associate Professor, Engagement Excellence Fellow and Policy Lead specialising in engaged research to facilitate sustainable circular economy transitions. I am an interdisciplinary academic and practitioner specialised in participation process management and whole system approaches that have enabled strategic change across industries and countries.

I co-founded the Yorkshire Circular Lab and initiated the Wind Energy Lifecycle Sustainability community at Leeds, accompanied by research focused on the UK’s circular economy transition. In total I have delivered more than 50 research, impact and consultancy projects.

I have collaborated extensively with partners spanning academia, industry, policy and civic sectors. My research has delivered substantial environmental, social and economic benefits through the creation of business opportunities and leading-edge policy on industrial strategy, resources and waste. In 2021 I was awarded the prestigious Poul la Cour prize for making an important and lasting contribution to the wind industry with my research on “circular wind”.

Current responsibilities include:

• Head of Yorkshire Circular Lab
• Founder of Circular Wind Research Network
• Co-chair knowledge exchange at IEA Wind Task 45 wind turbine blade recycling
• Committee member of CEN/TC 465 Industrial symbiosis for sustainable cities and communities
• Scientific editorial board member at Circular Economy and Sustainability

Research interests

All of my research is focused on improving understanding of circular economy transitions, through the practical facilitation of a more circular economy across sectors and countries. This is learning by doing, while making a real difference to practices in communities, industry and policy.

Within the broad area of circular economy transitions, I am mostly working on:

• Circularity in energy transitions, such as reducing material demands for new energy infrastructure through whole system design, ensuring that durability and reuse, repair and refurbishment are proactively embedded in energy generation assets, and enabling sustainable decommissioning. I have worked on bioenergy, wind turbines, solar panels, nuclear energy, and oil and gas.
• Industrial symbiosis, where wastes and by-products from one industry become an input for other industries. I investigate how such resource synergies can be realised by companies from a social and economic perspective, to enable effective partnerships, business processes and legal agreements. I also support governmental organisations in policy and regulatory development, alongside the preparation of a European standard.
• Community engagement, especially in the Yorkshire and the Humber region through the Yorkshire Circular Lab (YCL). The YCL is a living lab where we bring communities, companies and local government together to try out circular economy solutions. Circular economy is highly context dependent – what works in one place isn’t necessarily going to succeed in another – with solutions tailored to community preferences and particularities.

Most of my research is applied and practice-oriented, and this results in valuable theoretical contributions such as the Principles for a Sustainable Circular Economy. Theory that is thoroughly grounded in practice ensures that my scientific work can really contribute to circular economy transitions. If you are interested in this too, then please feel free to reach out.

Primary investigator (PI)

• Circular oil and gas decommissioning
• EoLO-Hubs - Wind turbine blades End of Life through Open HUBs for circular materials in sustainable business models
• Yorkshire Circular Economy Living Lab

Co-investigator (Co-I)

• A Sustainable Circular Economy for Offshore Wind

Qualifications

• PhD on Co-evolution of Industrial Symbiosis with Social Networks and Governance Systems
• MSc Applied Ecology and Conservation, specialising in Participatory Governance

Professional memberships

• Chartered Institution of Wastes Management

Student education

I teach circular economy in MSc modules in the School of Civil Engineering and in guest sessions in other faculties at the University of Leeds and elsewhere. I support and supervise undergraduate and postgraduate students in Civil Engineering, the Yorkshire Circular Lab and externally.

Research groups and institutes

• Cities, Infrastructure and Energy