When Currys met University College London (UCL): focus on circular economy as pair connect

Academia met retail this week as representatives from Currys and University College London (UCL) connected with a focus on the circular economy.

In a LinkedIn post, Currys said: “Sharing all things Currys and how we give tech a longer life, our teams recently hosted UCL guests Dr Graham Anderson, Rob Hewlett, and Polina Pencheva at our repair and recycling centre in Newark.”

“Deep into circular economy research, the researchers explored everything from plastic waste innovation to the future of repair, reuse and materials recovery. They came up to see circularity in action: on the ground, at scale, with customers at the heart of it. Currys' Stephen Pendleton, David Rosenberg, and Chris Brown took them behind the curtain, showcasing our repair operations, the recycling centre and how we collaborate with partners and manufacturers to drive innovation.”

It added: “What followed? Great conversations, lots of idea exchanges and a strong sense of shared purpose around building a more circular tech ecosystem. Here’s to even more innovation in future research and industry conversations.”

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

Green retail will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards will open for entries in April. They celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Thursday, 15th October.

Check out our 2025 winners here.

Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.