Dr Vinayak Sharma is an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow at Surrey Business School, University of Surrey. His fellowship project, From Theory to Impact: Translating Social Value Integration Frameworks for Circular Economy Practice and Policy, develops findings from his doctoral research into peer-reviewed publications and practical guidance for businesses and policymakers navigating circular economy transitions.
Vinayak’s research investigates how organisations develop the strategic capabilities needed to integrate social considerations — workforce wellbeing, community engagement, supply chain equity — into circular economy business model transitions. Working inside three multinational enterprises across the UK automotive and related sectors, his doctoral research produced three interconnected theoretical frameworks, including the proposal of “reacting” as a fourth dynamic capability extending Teece’s influential sensing-seizing-reconfiguring triad.
The fellowship translates doctoral research into a body of published research, practitioner guidance developed with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and policy briefings for the UK’s Digital Innovation and Circular Economy Network+. Vinayak is supported by primary mentor Dr Tracy Xu (Co-Director, Future of Work Research Centre, Surrey Business School) and secondary mentor Dr Lirong Liu (Principal Investigator, EPSRC DICE Network+).
Vinayak completed his PhD at the University of Exeter Business School in December 2025, where he was funded by the UKRI National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research (NICER) Programme. He holds the Babbage Best Paper Award from the International Society for Applied Economics conference at Saïd Business School, Oxford (2026), and has presented his research at eight peer-reviewed international conferences across the UK, Europe, and Asia. He serves as Early Career Researcher Lead of the ISPIM Circular Economy Special Interest Group and as ECR Advisor to the EPSRC DICE Network+. His advisory work spans Defra, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, NHS England, and John Lewis Partnership.
Before academia, Vinayak worked in private equity at Asante Capital, as a Product Manager at John Deere managing a £5M+ portfolio across UK and EU markets, and as the founder of SpudMe, an NFC technology startup taken from concept to market in nine months. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.