The applied research at the Centre is focused around three themes:

1. Eco-Efficiency and Industrial Ecology: Eco-Efficiency (also known as Cleaner Production) is about 'doing more with less', i.e. using natural resources more efficiently and effectively for the delivery of products and services that bring quality of life to consumers. Eco-Efficiency extends into Industrial Ecology, which considers the operations of the organisation in the broader regional and/or value chain perspectives to seek synergies that achieve greater eco-efficiency measured at the regional or value chain scales.

2. Innovation and Sustainable Technology: are required to deliver the products, processes and services that strike a balance between economic, social and environmental performance that reflects current rather than past judgements of the relative importance of these performance dimensions.

3. Sustainability Management: is concerned with business strategy, corporate governance, organisational development and management systems and practices that focus an organisation on contributing to sustainable development. Sustainability Management starts with greater accountability and transparency (as for instance reflected in sustainable development reporting) and a commitment to corporate social responsibility (or corporate citizenship, i.e. the orientation of the organisation to contribute to the betterment of its immediate stakeholders in particular its employees, its neighbours and its consumers).

Staff members and postgraduate students typically undertake applied research projects in close collaboration with businesses and other partner organisations in the government and non-government sectors.

The Centre is a core contributor to the Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Resource Processing.

The tables below summarise current and past research projects in each theme. Please select title of research projects for detailed information.

ECO-EFFICIENCY & INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY

INNOVATION & SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY

SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT