Sustainable Innovation Strategies for Building a Social Economy in Emerging Markets: Pathways to Inclusive Growth and Community Resilience

This doctoral project will explore how sustainable innovation strategies can support the development of a social economy in emerging markets, with a focus on fostering inclusive growth, environmental stewardship, and community resilience.

A social economy—comprising social enterprises, cooperatives, and community-based organisations—prioritises social and environmental impact over pure profit, making it a vital model for addressing issues like poverty, inequality, and resource scarcity in underserved regions. Sustainable innovation strategies within this context emphasise creating value that benefits both society and the environment.

The student will examine how sustainable innovation—through the creation of eco-friendly products, circular business models, and community-driven services—enables social economy organisations to deliver meaningful impact. This will involve a combination of qualitative case studies of successful social enterprises implementing sustainable practices and quantitative analysis of their social, environmental, and economic outcomes. The research will also look at how collaborations with government bodies, NGOs, and private sector partners can help scale these efforts, creating networks that support long-term sustainability and resilience.

Collaboration opportunities with social enterprises, sustainability-focused NGOs, and development organisations will provide practical insights and access to data on community impacts. The ideal candidate should have an interest in sustainable development, social entrepreneurship, and impact measurement, along with skills in both qualitative and quantitative research methods. A background in environmental policy, innovation management, or social enterprise would be advantageous for successfully undertaking this project.

Brunel offers a number of funding options to research students that help cover the cost of their tuition fees, contribute to living expenses or both. See more information here: https://www.brunel.ac.uk/research/Research-degrees/Research-degree-funding. The UK Government is also offering Doctoral Student Loans for eligible students, and there is some funding available through the Research Councils. Many of our international students benefit from funding provided by their governments or employers. Brunel alumni enjoy tuition fee discounts of 15%.