This week, CircHive’s business and research partners meet in Edinburgh for a week of reconnection, learning and sharing stories. Like bees returning to the hive, our annual consortium meetings are opportunities to share discoveries and new ideas, and set our project’s direction for the season ahead. Luckily, we won’t have to rely on the bees’ “waggle dance” method of communication, as our Edinburgh hosts have set out an agenda of well-planned workshops, excursions and meetings.
Through the CircHive Investor Hub Conference on 21 May, we'll open up our hive to cross-pollination. Hosted by the University of Edinburgh Business School and the School of GeoSciences, and supported by the Edinburgh Centre for Financial Innovations (ECFI) and its Nature Finance Lab (NFL), the conference brings together academics, investors, policymakers and practitioners to discuss investing in nature. As a city with deep historical links to finance, economics and innovation, Edinburgh provides an appropriate backdrop for conversations on investing in nature, Natural Capital Accounting and Biodiversity Footprinting.
As CircHive enters its final phase, this year’s annual meeting comes at an important moment for the project. Now in its third year, with around one and a half years remaining, CircHive is moving into a phase focused on uptake and long-term impact with more project outputs emerging and lessons from business and city case studies becoming clearer. This is also a key moment for reflection on what has been achieved so far and maximising the project’s long-term impact.
The BEEHive
The BEEHive plays two critical roles in CircHive’s impact and legacy. First, it provides a trusted and permanent repository for CircHive project outputs. Built within Oppla, the BEEHive is part of a wider global knowledge network bringing together the latest research on natural capital, ecosystem services and nature-based solutions. All content uploaded to the BEEHive will be preserved and made available in the Oppla platform in perpetuity.
Second, it acts as an open and collaborative space for connecting research with real-world practice. As the platform grows, it will provide researchers, businesses, cities and practitioners with opportunities to interact with one another. The platform is designed to support collaboration, knowledge exchange and discussion across different stakeholder groups, and anyone with an interest in biodiversity footprinting and natural capital accounting is welcome to contribute, share experiences and engage across the sectoral hubs.