AI-Driven Circular Engineering for Waste, Water and Energy
Apex Engineering is an AI-focused circular economy consultancy led by university researchers and industry engineers. We design and test data-driven systems to identify, sort and transform complex waste streams into materials, bio-products and clean energy.
We combine AI vision, sensor fusion and process engineering with rigorous techno-economic and sustainability analysis. Our team has spent years in laboratories and pilot facilities. We now bring that scientific experience to partners in industry, universities and the public sector.
Discover → Diagnose → Design → Develop → Deploy
WHAT WE DO
From data and AI to deployable circular systems
Apex Engineering works on the full circular journey. We help you understand your waste and resource streams, design AI-enabled identification and sorting, and connect them to recycling, upcycling, and waste-to-energy routes. Our work is grounded in experimental data, modelling, and techno-economic assessment rather than assumptions.
We are particularly interested in projects that move from early research and feasibility through to prototypes, pilots and demonstrators, where AI and advanced sensing can unlock value that conventional approaches miss.
AI at the core
Artificial intelligence as an engineering tool, not a buzzword
Our focus is on applying AI where it has clear physical and economic impact. We build and integrate:
- Computer vision models for object and material recognition on belts, in tanks and in pipes
- Sensor-fusion algorithms that combine NIR, hyperspectral, X-ray and other signals for improved classification
- Predictive models for yield, energy use, fouling and process stability
- Digital twins and optimisation algorithms for plants and networks
These models are always linked to real equipment, lab data, and process constraints. We treat AI as one part of a robust engineering solution, alongside chemistry, biology, materials science and process design.
Academic and scientific foundations
Built by researchers, scientists and practising engineers
Apex Engineering was founded by university professors and experienced practitioners in process engineering, biotechnology, materials science and automation. Our team has authored peer-reviewed publications, supervised doctoral research and contributed to competitive research and innovation projects.
This scientific background shapes how we work. We start with clear hypotheses, experimental designs and data quality standards. We then move carefully toward pilot and field deployment, always testing assumptions with real measurements and transparent calculations.
We welcome collaborations where scientific rigour, open discussion of uncertainty and reproducible methods are valued.
How we collaborate
Flexible collaboration models for universities, industry and funders
Apex Engineering works across research and application. Typical collaboration modes include:
- Feasibility studies and option assessments for AI-enabled circular systems
- Joint research proposals with universities and research institutes
- Design and delivery of laboratory experiments and small-scale demonstrators
- Support for grant-funded pilots and innovation programmes
- Independent technical review of AI-based circular economy concepts
We can join consortia as an AI and engineering partner, or work directly with industrial and public sector clients as a specialist advisor.
Example areas of interest
Priority focus areas
We are particularly interested in AI-enabled projects in:
- Waste identification, separation and sorting
- Recycling and upcycling of textiles, polymers, organics and composites
- Waste-to-energy and waste-to-bio-products
- Water and wastewater treatment, reuse and monitoring
- Clean air and clean water filtration systems
- Energy and resource efficiency in industrial processes
If your idea involves complex streams, difficult separations, or uncertain business cases, we can help you turn questions into structured studies and testable designs.
Team and facilities snapshot
Capabilities and infrastructure
Our team includes specialists in:
- Process and energy engineering
- Biotechnology and bio-products
- Polymers, textiles and composite materials
- Automation, AI, vision and robotics
- Sustainability, LCA and techno-economic assessment
We work with laboratory and pilot-scale facilities for wet chemistry, biological processes, materials characterisation (for example FT-IR, NIR, XRF), membrane and filtration testing, and rapid prototyping. We also maintain data and machine-learning workflows that link experimental results to models and design tools.
Team and facilities snapshot
Talk to us about your next AI-enabled circular project
Whether you are preparing a funding proposal, exploring a new technology concept or planning a demonstrator, we can help you define the problem, the data and the most realistic AI-enabled options.
Featured Solutions
Waste Identification, Separation & Sorting
Pinpoint, classify, and separate complex streams using sensor fusion and AI for sorting.
Recycling & Upcycling
Convert waste into feedstocks and higher-value products through mechanical, chemical, and biological processes.
Waste to Energy and Waste to Bio-products
Convert residuals into energy, fuels, and bio-based chemicals through AD, fermentation, and thermochemical pathways.
Prototyping & Engineering
Build and test lab rigs and pilot systems; de-risk scale-up with robust TEA/LCA and compliance.
Trusted by manufacturers, municipalities, and research partners.