Co-designing interventions with on-going circular initiatives to accelerate transformative change

Achieving a circular bioeconomy requires transformative change. Circular initiatives have emerged as frontrunners by demonstrating alternatives through which they generate new knowledge and avenues for transformative change. This paper explores how researchers can accelerate initiative’s contribution to transformative change by applying transdisciplinary action research. We analysed five interventions, collaboratively designed and implemented by researchers and practitioners, to accelerate key mechanisms crucial for initiative’s development. Within the interventions researchers adopted diverse roles, including process facilitator, knowledge broker and change agent. We linked these roles to key mechanisms—such as partnering, professionalization, or learning by doing—to understand how researchers can increase their societal impact through research. Our findings highlight the value of balancing researchers’ capacities to play certain roles with the activation of key mechanisms to drive transformative change and support the long-term success of circular initiatives. Furthermore, collaborating with ongoing initiatives, rather than starting new, allows researchers to build on existing achievements, learning and partnerships, fostering a more appreciative approach.