Benchmarking and Research built to answer the question you actually have.
SYNE's analysts produce bespoke sector studies, peer benchmarking reports, and thematic research - drawing on the same ratings, data and Index that power every SYNE product - for clients who need a specific question answered, not just a subscription feed.
From a single peer comparison to a published sector study.
SYNE's Benchmarking and Research combines sector analysis, peer benchmarking, thematic research and custom index construction into one practice - built for clients whose question doesn't fit a standard subscription product.
Sector & Industry Studies
In-depth studies of a single sector's ESG, carbon or supply chain performance and trajectory.
Peer Benchmarking Reports
Compare a defined peer set - competitors, a portfolio, or a watchlist - against a consistent standard.
Thematic & Policy Research
Cross-sector research on an emerging theme - a regulation, a technology shift, or a market-wide trend.
White-Label Research for Associations
Co-branded sector reports industry associations can publish under their own name.
Regulatory & Public Sector Research
Custom research supporting policy design, disclosure mandate design, or market oversight.
Custom Index Construction
Build a bespoke SYNE Index cut for a peer group that doesn't map to a standard sector or country slice.
Four stages, from a research question to a published report.
Every study moves through the same four stages - Scope, Source, Analyse and Publish - regardless of whether the output is a confidential internal report or a co-branded public study.
Scope
Turning a general question into a defined, answerable research brief.
- Define the Research Question
- Select Peer Set & Geography
- Determine Data Sources
- Agree Delivery Format
Source
Drawing on SYNE's own data before commissioning anything new.
- Draw on Licensed SYNE Data
- Draw on Published Ratings History
- Commission Primary Research Where Needed
- Validate Against the SYNE Index
Analyse
Turning sourced data into a defensible, tested finding.
- Comparative Benchmarking
- Trend & Trajectory Analysis
- Statistical & Materiality Testing
- Peer Review by an Independent Analyst
Publish
Delivering findings in the format that's actually useful to the client.
- Report Drafting
- Dataset Packaging
- Client or Public Release
- Briefing & Presentation
From a research brief to a delivered study.
Most engagements move through the same four stages, typically completing within four to ten weeks depending on scope.
Define the Brief
Agree the research question, peer set, geography and delivery format before work begins.
Source & Gather
Draw on licensed SYNE data and ratings history, supplemented by primary research where needed.
Test & Benchmark
Analyse findings against comparable peers and subject them to independent analyst review.
Deliver the Study
Deliver as a report, a dataset, or both, with an optional briefing for the commissioning team.
Built for anyone whose question doesn't fit a standard subscription.
A live intelligence feed answers ongoing questions well. A specific, one-off question is usually better served by a scoped study.
Industry Associations
Publish credible, independent sector-wide reports under the association's own name.
Investors & Asset Managers
Get a bespoke peer set and analysis that a standard index or dataset doesn't already cover.
Corporates
Commission competitive benchmarking to inform strategy, without waiting for a public rating cycle.
Regulators & Policymakers
Commission research to inform disclosure mandate design or market-wide policy decisions.
NGOs & Academic Institutions
Access systematically sourced data for research that would otherwise rely on manual compilation.
Media & Publishers
License a data-backed study or benchmark as the basis for original reporting.
A subscription feed answers the questions it was built to answer - not the one you actually have.
Standard datasets and index products are built to serve a broad range of use cases, which means they rarely map exactly onto a specific, one-off question - a bespoke peer set, an unusual sector cut, or a policy question nobody has framed quite that way before. A scoped study exists to answer that exact question, once, properly.
Why standard products don't fit every question
A subscription feed is built for breadth - a bespoke study is built for exactly one question, with a peer set defined to match it.
What it means for associations
A study built on licensed, sourced data carries more weight with members and regulators than an internally compiled survey.
What it means for time-sensitive decisions
A scoped study can answer a specific question in weeks - faster than building an internal research capability from scratch.
What research actually delivers
A properly sourced, independently reviewed answer to the specific question you asked - not a repackaged version of an existing report.
What separates a SYNE study from a marketing white paper.
Four principles run through every study we publish, from a confidential internal report to a co-branded public study.
Built on licensed, sourced data
Studies draw on SYNE's own licensed data and published ratings history - not survey responses or unsourced estimates.
Methodology published per study
Every study discloses its data sources, peer set definition, and analytical method alongside its findings.
Regulatory-grade independence
Operating under the same independence standards as every SYNE Rating, regardless of who commissioned the study.
Peer-reviewed before publication
Every study is reviewed by an analyst independent of the original research team before it's delivered or published.
A study answers one question well. A feed answers many questions continuously.
Benchmarking and Research sits alongside SYNE's live intelligence products, for the questions a continuous feed isn't built to answer.
Bespoke, not continuous
A study is scoped once for a specific question; Market & Trade Intelligence or ESG Intelligence run continuously across a broad peer universe.
4–10 weeks per study
Turnaround depends on scope - a focused peer benchmarking report can complete faster than a full sector study.
Report, dataset, or both
Delivered as a written report, a structured dataset for further analysis, or both together.
Fully bespoke scope
Peer set, geography, sector definition and delivery format are all agreed at the outset, not fixed by a product template.
Client-owned or co-branded
Studies can remain confidential to the commissioning client, or be published under a co-branded or SYNE byline.
Referenced across sectors & markets
Used by associations, investors and regulators across our 71 licensed markets as an independent reference point.
Studies scoped across 71 licensed countries.
SYNE's research practice can scope a study to a single country, a region, or a global peer set, drawing on the same licensed data and ratings history used across every SYNE product.
View the full country list →Each mark represents active coverage in one jurisdiction
The ratings and data that feed every study.
Benchmarking and Research draws on SYNE's rating products and licensed data, and sits alongside the rest of SYNE's intelligence and advisory services.
Commission a study built around your question.
Talk to our team about scoping a sector study, a peer benchmarking report, or a custom research engagement.