Associate Member:

Synthesis

Organisation Type:
Consultant

Contact details
Address: Tucana Heights, Queen Olympic Park, London, E20 1BB

Telephone: +44 (0) 203 897 0789

ABOUT

Synthesis is an award-winning international consultancy which specialises in innovation and sustainability. It has worked successfully with leading corporates, non-profits, government and academic institutions around the world; covering a range of global issues from climate change to urban poverty and social inclusion. Its process has been carefully developed to help organisations to tackle global challenges and rapidly design innovative solutions to drive growth and positive global impact.

Winner of ‘Best International Sustainability Consultancy‘ 2023 – Greater London Enterprise Awards

Finalist ‘Best ESG initiative 2023‘ – Risk Awards in association with Capgemini

Winner of ‘Sustainability Consultancy of the Year 2024’ – Corporate Livewire Innovation & Excellence Awards

Synthesis is a leading international consultancy that partners with organisations, government bodies and non-profits to tackle some of the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges. Renowned for its award-winning expertise in innovation and sustainability, Synthesis has designed and delivered breakthrough programmes across five continents. Its work spans the private sector, development agencies and academia, uniting clients around a shared aim: to move rapidly from vision to tangible, scalable solutions.

At the heart of Synthesis’s global offering lies a tried-and-tested innovation process. Over the course of immersive three-day workshops, multidisciplinary teams learn to apply human-centred techniques, systems thinking and prototyping methodologies. This structured approach ensures participants not only generate creative ideas, but also build the practical skills needed to implement them. Through hands-on exercises and real-time feedback, delegates leave with fully formed prototypes and a clear roadmap for real-world rollout.

Among Synthesis’s flagship initiatives is the establishment of an innovation fund for the United Nations in the Asia-Pacific region. Under the leadership of director Tanya Popeau, Synthesis guided UN agencies in 15 countries through every stage of design, from framing complex policy challenges to testing pilot schemes. The fund has since seeded projects addressing climate resilience, food security and digital inclusion across the region, rapidly translating high-level strategy into grass-roots action.

In Papua New Guinea, Synthesis collaborated with civil society partners to develop a mobile reporting tool for corruption. By harnessing simple SMS technology and community workshops, the programme empowered citizens to document and transmit incidents in real time. This pilot not only enhanced transparency but also informed national anti-corruption policy, demonstrating Synthesis’s capacity to bridge technological innovation and social accountability.

Elsewhere, a gamified animation initiative in Nepal sought to shift attitudes towards gender-based violence. Working alongside local NGOs, Synthesis designers crafted interactive storyboards that resonated with villages and schools. Early results indicate a measurable increase in help-seeking behaviour and community dialogue on women’s safety, underscoring how culturally tailored innovation can drive social change.

Synthesis’s portfolio extends to industrial and civic applications too. In India, the consultancy supported steel mills in scaling up energy-efficient practices, reducing carbon footprints and cutting operational costs. In Chicago, its team helped public health agencies prototype adolescent wellbeing programmes, combining data analytics with community co-design to address youth poverty and mental health. Each engagement follows the same ethos: test fast, learn quickly, scale responsibly.

A key differentiator for Synthesis is its global network of experts. Drawing on academics, designers, technologists and sector specialists, the consultancy tailors each team to the project’s context. Whether briefing a boardroom in London or convening village leaders in Vietnam, Synthesis ensures the right mix of skills and perspectives to drive impact.

Success for Synthesis is measured not only in accolades—such as Best International Sustainability Consultancy (Greater London Enterprise Awards 2023) and Sustainability Consultancy of the Year (Corporate Livewire Awards 2024)—but in enduring change. By embedding innovation capabilities within organisations, Synthesis leaves clients better equipped to adapt, evolve and thrive in an ever-shifting global landscape.

For any organisation seeking to harness innovation for social or environmental impact, Synthesis offers a proven pathway from inspiration to implementation. With an unflinching focus on real-world results, it continues to shape tomorrow’s solutions to today’s most complex challenges.

Synthesis’ global skills and training offer includes:

Human-centred design and co-design with diverse communities
Systems thinking and complexity management
Rapid prototyping, design sprints and innovation labs
Policy design, implementation and management of innovation funds
Sustainable development, climate resilience and energy efficiency
Digital innovation and technology adoption in low-resource contexts
Mobile and SMS-based tools for transparency and reporting
Behaviour-change communications, gamification and community engagement
Monitoring, evaluation and learning frameworks with data-driven decision-making
Cross-sector collaboration and inclusive stakeholder engagement
Scaling pilot projects into real-world deployment and organisational capacity-building
Facilitating multi-stakeholder, cross-cultural workshops
Agile project management in global teams
Anti-corruption, transparency and governance strategies
Youth and adolescent wellbeing programmes, gender equality and empowerment