Dr Ruth Cherrington

Ruth is a business-facing academic who brings empirical and applied research to the teaching of circular economy and sustainable business practices across executive, undergraduate, and postgraduate education. Her commitment to scholarship is demonstrated through a substantial portfolio of funded initiatives—totalling more than £14M across large-scale research programmes and impact-led community projects. This portfolio showcases her dedication to advancing knowledge, supporting regional innovation, and translating complex concepts into accessible, practice-based insights for diverse audiences. These contributions formed an important part of the University of Exeter’s Small Business Charter accreditation, evidencing the Business School’s leadership in supporting small businesses, entrepreneurs, and the local economy.

Her research explores how circular and sustainable practices are embedded within organisations, highlighting the role of place, communities, and values in shaping transitions toward more regenerative models. Ruth is an affiliate member of both the Exeter Centre for Circular Economy and the Centre for Entrepreneurship and her work sits at the intersection of these themes to consider the future of business in a resource-constrained world.

Ruth has played a key role in the development of three innovative teaching modules within the Business School. These modules draw inspiration from nature’s designs and processes to address human challenges (BEP3130), explore circular principles and systems thinking to generate creative business solutions (BEPM002), and facilitate critical discussions about the environmental and societal impacts of economic activity (BEP1150). She continues to lead the development and delivery of a curriculum that meets high academic standards while responding to evolving industry needs. Her approach fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, embeds experiential learning opportunities such as fieldwork, and supports the development of skilled, responsible future leaders.

Alongside her teaching and research, Ruth has also played a pivotal role in delivering the Help to Grow Management programme in Cornwall since 2022, successfully supporting multiple cohorts of business leaders from induction through to completion. Her combined research expertise, real-world engagement, and strategic programme delivery reflect her ongoing commitment to strengthening regional business ecosystems and enabling sustainable innovation.

Large-Scale Projects

(Typically £1M+, multi-year, research or regional development programmes)

£2.02M UKRI NERC Future Fibres Network+ (Jul 2023 – Mar 2026)

National transdisciplinary network embedding environmental science into fashion and textile innovation.

£5.6M Shared Prosperity Fund – Entrepreneurial Futures (Oct 2023 – Mar 2025)
Regional programme to accelerate sustainable and circular innovation across Cornwall’s business ecosystem.

£1.1M ESF Accelerating Circular Skills for Cornwall (Mar 2021 – Dec 2023)

Large-scale ESF programme building circular economy skills and business capabilities.

£1.7M ESF Smart Specialisation through Higher Level Skills (SS-HLS) (Sept 2020 – Aug 2023)

Regional skills development programme aligned with innovation and growth sectors.

£2.5M ERDF Future Focus 2 (Mar 2020 – Jun 2023)

Business innovation support programme helping SMEs adopt sustainable and circular practices.

£1M UKRI EPSRC ExeMPLaR – Exeter Multidisciplinary Plastics Research Hub (Jan 2019 – Jun 2021)

Major research hub advancing circular strategies for plastics.

Impact & Community Projects

(Typically <£50K, focused on public engagement, thought leadership, early-stage collaboration, community innovation, or pilot work.)

£30K UKRI PCT: The Business of Repair (Jun 2025 – Jan 2026)

Research into scalable commercial models for clothing repair with Finisterre.

£2K Societies and Cultures Institute (SCI) Seedcorn Funding (Jun 2024 – May 2025)

Supporting exploratory interdisciplinary work in circular economy research.

£5K HEIF Open Innovation Platform Link Funding – Global Circular Open Data Sharing Network (Jun 2023 – Jun 2026)

Connecting Early Career Researchers and industry around circular data sharing.

£30K Innovate UK & ESRC Innovation Caucus (Aug 2022 – Dec 2022)

Thought leadership on place-based and circular innovation in textiles.

£15K EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account – Circular Textiles (May 2022 – Jul 2022)

Community–industry collaboration on circular textile practices and education.

£30K Big Lottery Fund – TeX Innovation (Jan 2022 – Jan 2023)

Community-driven circular textiles project addressing social isolation and skills.

£1K ESRC Festival of Science – Global Donut Day (Jun 2023 – Nov 2023)

Public engagement events on Doughnut Economics and regenerative development.

£30K UKRI EPSRC Network+ SMART & Sustainable Coatings (Aug 2020 – Mar 2021)

Research into coatings for recyclable thermoplastics to reduce materials waste.