The Leicester-based university is the first higher education institution in the UK to publicly adopt the CircKit platform for academic use, embedding it across multiple fashion and design courses.
According to CircKit, the academic licensing programme gives students direct access to circular design, lifecycle analysis, and compliance tools already used by professional teams within the fashion industry.
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This partnership is intended to address the growing expectations around circularity, sustainability, and regulatory compliance now facing apparel businesses globally.
Students at DMU will use the CircKit platform within their coursework to conduct lifecycle assessments and engage with compliance scenarios based on industry regulations, such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Digital Product Passports (DPPs).
CircKit said the initiative is designed to build students’ fluency in industry terminology and foster decision-making skills that address both environmental and commercial objectives.
CircKit founder CEO Joe Darwen said: “DMU quickly recognised the interplay of CircKit’s various modules and how they can support their syllabus. They saw the bigger opportunity, and in doing so are setting a new benchmark for what industry-ready fashion education can look like.”
CircKit is structured around three core areas including commercial viability, regulatory compliance, and environmental impact.
According to the company, this approach enables students to understand how circular design principles can create both business and climate value, rather than viewing sustainability solely as a constraint.
Coursework will include practical assignments in supply chain analysis and circular product design, supporting the development of skills relevant to current fashion sector employers.
DMU School of Design Innovation deputy head Stuart Lawson said: “Adopting CircKit has been a natural step in embedding the Design Council’s Skills for Planet within our schools’ curricula at De Montfort University. It allows us to bring Life Cycle Assessment into the heart of teaching, giving students a practical way to understand and act on sustainability.”
The partnership comes as universities face rising pressure from industry to deliver graduates equipped with practical understanding of sustainable practices.
CircKit reported that additional university partnerships are in progress, with more institutions expected to adopt the platform over coming academic years.
Applications for CircKit’s university programme are open for the September 2026 academic term, the company confirmed, encouraging prospective institutions to express interest early for onboarding support.
