Did you know that 25% of children and young people (aged 16-25) in the West Midlands lack access to a computer or tablet at home? Or, that over half of adults in the region lack the fundamental digital skills required for the workforce?
In Birmingham, there is a disproportionate level of digital poverty, leaving residents excluded from a society which relies more and more upon technology. ReCognition Circular exists to tackle this problem: fighting against digital exclusion and e-waste, a rapidly growing waste stream. And we’re extremely proud to support this at Tyseley Energy Park.
Meet ReCognition Circular
ReCognition Circular was created out of founder David Abosch’s interest in sustainable IT, passion for ending the waste of hardware, and knowledge of East Birmingham’s need to close the digital divide.
In the beginning, it was just David, until he bumped into Callum Faulds, a high-skilled electronic repairer, at a tech event in Birmingham. The team needed a base for their work, and so they asked Tyseley Energy Park, who were delighted to support what they do.
Unlike a business, ReCognition Circular doesn’t have shareholders, and it doesn’t pay dividends. Instead, it reinvests its profits into its core mission of tackling e-waste and promoting digital inclusion.
So, what does ReCognition Circular actually do? Its work is twofold: it sources old or broken technology to repair and sell on for profit that is reinvested into the business, and it receives technology donations which it then repairs and distributes to those who need it. Another core activity is its Laptop Refurb as a Service. Instead of replacing their laptops every few years, businesses can save money and reduce carbon impact by letting ReCognition Circular refurbish them back to new condition so they can be redeployed and used for a further 3 – 5 years.
From humble beginnings, ReCognition Circular has recently taken on a new employee and is based at Tyseley Energy Park amongst an ecosystem of powerhouse clean growth businesses. Plus, it is currently mentoring its second cohort of T-level students from a local college. As a social enterprise, it generates the majority of its income through trade, not through fundraising, or grants.
Community
The good that ReCognition Circular achieves doesn’t stop there. Another central part of its work is education: equipping digital excluded individuals with the skills to repair their own technology.
The organisation offers 4–6 week courses that teach people how to repair electronics by giving them a single item to take apart, rebuild and diagnose; helping them gain the confidence to work with older technology, carry out hardware replacements, and identify faults. Participants are encouraged to find their own items as well, and to repair them to sell on. Everyone who completes the course gets their own set of tools and a laptop that they repair, upgrade and take home with them to keep.
The programme supports individuals experiencing long‑term unemployment by building employability skills, confidence, and independence. It also helps those that struggle leaving the house or taking public transport on their own. Many of the people involved struggle with reading, writing or lack formal qualifications, so the practical nature of the course offers an accessible and empowering alternative. ReCognition Circular has employed graduates from its repair course and would love to hire more as the business grows.
By the end of the programme, participants can diagnose and carry out laptop repairs on their own, leaving them with skills to help with future employment.
Incorporating community into its work is central to the mission of Tyseley Energy Park. To involve local residents, it hosts regular community days where people can come onsite, work together to improve the area through litter picking, and benefit from onsite members, like ReCognition Circular.
The Repair Cafe, a regular feature of these events, is a big success and helps fight the dual problems of cost of living and digital exclusion in Birmingham. Community members can bring broken items and work with skilled volunteers to fix them: staying and watching is part of the learning process!
From Birmingham, for Birmingham
In January 2026, ReCognition Circular launched the Birmingham Device Bank, an initiative which aims to connect local businesses to local community organisations through repairing devices. That’s the model: Birmingham businesses, Birmingham technicians, Birmingham residents. Nothing leaves the city.
According to ReCognition Circular, up to 90% of laptops donated to some digital charities are sold at a profit and only a small number of the devices actually make it into the hands of people who need them. This is where it differs: creating a circular economy that does good for the environment and the people of Birmingham.
“National schemes do great work, but they are unlikely to benefit the local community,” says David Abosch, Chief Executive Officer at ReCognition Circular. “With us, you know your device stays in Birmingham. You know it’s being worked on by people we’re training locally. Businesses are encouraged to donate devices, but can choose to get more involved in local projects as part of their CSR or social value initiatives. Donations are made to Birmingham charities, community groups and other organisations that work with residents here who really need these devices”
“The Device Bank isn’t about recycling,” added Callum Faulds, Chief Technical Officer at ReCognition Circular. “Your end of life devices still have value. We want to keep that value here in Birmingham. With the Device Bank, the devices stay in Birmingham and the jobs stay in Birmingham. Our city needs them.”
David Horsfall, Director of Property and Sustainability at Tyseley Energy Park, said: “Seeing ReCognition Circular go from strength to strength has been extremely rewarding. Community is central to Tyseley Energy Park, and partnerships like this show just how powerful that can be. It also reflects the power that circular economy can have on a community: preventing devices ending up as e-waste through fighting device poverty in Birmingham. We are delighted to have them onsite.”
To donate devices or register as a community partner, visit https://birminghamdevicebank.org or contact us at [email protected].
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