About Us
A National Ecosystem for Circular Innovation
RESCu-M2 is a UK-wide consortium bringing together top-tier academic researchers, cross-sector industry leaders, government regulators, and policymakers.
Host Institution
University of Birmingham
Regional Spokes
Leading UK universities and industrial partners
Funding
£13M from EPSRC, matched by £21.5M from academia & industry
RESCu-M2 exists to fundamentally transform how materials and products are designed, used, and recovered—creating new business models, supply chains, and capabilities for UK manufacturing.
Why RESCu-M2 Matters
Every year in the UK:
- £148M in critical and precious materials reaches recyclers
- £13.64M in critical raw materials is lost
- 128,666 tonnes of CO₂ is generated from inefficient material recovery
- 300,000 tonnes of electricals are discarded
We address these challenges head-on by:
- Securing long-term access to critical materials
- Reducing environmental impact
- Boosting productivity and competitiveness
- Driving digital technology adoption in manufacturing
- Building new value-added supply chains
What Makes RESCu-M2 Unique
Unmatched scope and ambition:
Targeting multi-billion pound recovery
Breadth:
Spanning all aspects of the Re-X lifecycle
Expert consortium:
Robotics, AI, Materials Science, Policy, and Industry
Fully funded:
£24M over seven years
Understanding Circular Manufacturing and Re-X
Circular Manufacturing
“A system based on the reuse and regeneration of materials or manufacturing products, especially as a means of continuing production in a sustainable or environmentally friendly way.”
Re-X Processes
A framework to reimagine manufacturing