Building Bridges in Circular Food Systems: A Collaborative Exchange Between Nottingham, Bristol, and Clausthal

On Tuesday, 20 May 2025, researchers from the University of Nottingham and the University of Bristol had the pleasure of hosting Dr Ani Melkonyan-Gottschalk and Dr Denis Daus from Clausthal University of Technology for a day of knowledge exchange and community building. Held on the University of Nottingham’s picturesque Jubilee Campus, the event aimed to foster collaboration between two vibrant research communities united by a shared interest in circular food systems. 

Aims and ambitions 

The primary goal of the day was to initiate a new collaborative network focused on circularity in food supply chains. The day provided a platform to share insights from two major research initiatives: 

ImPULSe – a project centred on circularity within the citrus fruit supply chain funded by EU Prima. 

DECIDE – an interdisciplinary project exploring circularity in the UK apple fruit supply chain, funded by EPSRC. 

From the outset, it was clear that the two teams had much in common. Synergies emerged early in the discussions, revealing overlapping research themes, methodologies, and challenges. 

A day of insightful exchange 

With sunny weather, the event began with warm introductions - both in-person and online - highlighting the diverse, multidisciplinary expertise in the room. Participants ranged from early-career researchers to senior academics, creating a dynamic and inclusive environment. 

Dr Melkonyan-Gottschalk and Dr Daus opened the day by presenting their research journey and key findings from the ImPULSe project. Many parallels between their work and that of the DECIDE team were highlighted. Discussions quickly moved beyond the specific fruit contexts to broader themes of circularity, systems thinking, and supply chains modelling. 

Following this, members of the DECIDE project team provided an overview of the project which aims to co-create a digital Hub solution to enable a UK Circular Food System in the context of the apple sector. The project brings together an interdisciplinary team working with industry experts, SMEs and third-sector organisations from the food sector to co-create a digitally enabled resilient and equitable food system in line with the circular economy. DECIDE has a clear focus on driving a Circular Food System in the UK apple supply chain by leveraging digital capabilities and involving farmers and actors involved in processing, storage and preservation, transportation, retail and redistribution, waste and surplus use/disposal. This session unearthed shared interests and opened the door to future collaboration. 

Collaborative reflection and thematic clustering 

Over a thoughtfully prepared lunch by Nourish Me Wild, participants were invited to reflect on the morning’s discussions. Each attendee was asked to contribute their top three comments or questions, which were then thematically clustered by Dr Anne Touboulic (DECIDE Co-Principal Investigator and Work Package 1 Lead) and Dr Ursula Davis (Work Package 1). This process surfaced five key themes, which became the focus of the afternoon’s collaborative deep dive. 

An inclusive approach was used to select one theme for further exploration, allowing the group to delve into specific opportunities for joint research, methodological innovation, and future funding bids. 

Visual storytelling and next steps 

Throughout the day, visual facilitator Raph from Raphic Design captured the evolving conversation through a series of live illustrations. These visual summaries not only documented the key ideas but also helped to spark new connections and insights among participants. 

The event concluded with a strong sense of momentum. Both teams expressed enthusiasm for continuing the dialogue and outlined practical steps for staying connected, including shared digital spaces, future workshops, and potential joint publications. 

Dr Lucy McCarthy (Co-PI DECIDE, Associate Professor in Management, University of Bristol) said of the event: 

This what a fantastic day, full of knowledge sharing and collaboration focused on building resilient food systems. It is exciting to think of what will come from this partnership.  None of this would have been possible without Ursulas thoughtful organising and careful facilitation.

Want to Learn More? 

If you're interested in the DECIDE project or would like to get involved, please contact Ursula Davis at Ursula.Davis1@nottingham.ac.uk. Or join our upcoming participatory workshop in June. 

This collaborative activity was proudly supported by the International Research Collaboration initiative.