How contract research helps businesses make confident industrial decisions

Businesses today are under intense pressure. New regulatory frameworks, including the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS), the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and evolving Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) requirements, are reshaping how companies plan, invest and manage their supply chains.

At the same time, organisations are expected to reduce carbon emissions, understand lifecycle impacts and adopt new technologies – all while remaining commercially viable.

Yet many important decisions are still made without enough evidence. The result is predictable: hidden costs emerge, technologies fail to deliver as expected and investments fall short of their goals.

Where the gaps typically emerge

From our work with businesses across the North East, a few common challenges stand out:

• Lifecycle assumptions that don't reflect the true cost: focusing only on upfront costs can overlook long-term operational inefficiencies, energy use and emissions impact.
• Regulation creating real financial exposure: misinterpreting obligations under UK ETS, CBAM and EPR can lead to penalties, inefficiencies or missed market opportunities.
• Decisions that don't hold up commercially: even promising process or technology choices can struggle without independent assessment.
• Limited internal expertise or capacity: businesses may lack the specialist skills or facilities needed to validate technical choices.
• Time pressures and fragmented workflows: decisions often need to be made quickly, while internal teams are already stretched.

These challenges occur across industries, from food production to energy-intensive manufacturing, and can result in delayed decisions, wasted budgets or underperforming investments.

Turning uncertainty into evidence

Contract research helps businesses move from uncertainty to informed action by providing fast, independent and evidence-based analysis tailored to their challenges. Rather than relying on assumptions or internal estimates, organisations can test technologies, processes or operational changes before committing significant investment.

Using expertise in areas such as lifecycle assessment, techno-economic modelling and regulatory analysis, contract research helps reveal hidden costs, risks and performance outcomes.

It also addresses common pressures within organisations. Many businesses lack the specialist expertise, facilities or time required to fully evaluate complex technical decisions. Contract research provides access to these capabilities through rapid feasibility assessments, often delivered within a matter of months rather than years. Projects are designed to be accessible and focused on practical insights. Outputs can also support R&D tax relief claims, providing a financial incentive for companies investing in technical or innovative work.

By structuring research around clear, time-bound objectives, businesses gain robust evidence that reduces risk and strengthens decision-making. Senior leaders can compare options objectively, identify the most viable approaches and avoid the costly consequences of choices that don’t hold up in practice.

Our research partnerships

Quorn - CO2 capture feasibility - Quorn worked with Teesside University to explore integrating C02 capture into its mycroprotein production process. Using detailed process modelling, techno-economic analysis and carbon footprint assessment, the team identified the most viable retrofit options.

The outcome? Quorn now has a clear path to pilot solutions at its Billingham facility, reducing risk and supporting its net zero ambitions.

Harbour Energy - DAC technology assessment - Harbour Energy explored deploying Direct Air Capture (DAC) technologies across multiple regions. Teesside University assessed the economic, technical and operational feasibility, as well as regulatory and infrastructure readiness.

This work enabled Harbour Energy to identify the most suitable locations for pilot deployment and make evidence-backed investment decisions.

Why this matters

Understanding regulatory exposure, operational efficiency and lifecycle impact has never been more important. Frameworks such as UK ETS, CBAM and EPR are evolving quickly, and organisations that anticipate these changes are better placed to respond strategically.

Poorly informed decisions can carry significant financial, operational and reputational risks, particularly when implementing new technologies or making major capital investments.

Contract research allows businesses to understand the real-world impact of their choices before committing. The result is credible, board-ready evidence that strengthens investor and stakeholder confidence.

Key takeaway for businesses

Contract research helps organisations:

• understand the true cost and carbon impact of decisions
avoid costly mistakes and underperforming investments
• build evidence-based business cases that stand up at board level
• access specialist skills and facilities without committing to long-term programmes
• benefit from outputs that can support R&D tax relief claims
• move quickly with a streamlined process designed for action within weeks, not months.

In short, contract research helps businesses reduce uncertainty and make confident decisions in a complex operating environment.

Let's work together

We want to work with your business to explore practical solutions and provide research that helps clarify complex decisions – always with a focus on what works in the real world.

If your organisation is facing operational, regulatory or sustainability challenges, email our team at business@tees.ac.uk.

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