About us
Founded in 2019, Bristol Digital Futures Institute (BDFI) is the newest of the University of Bristol’s five research institutes.
Digital technologies have changed our world. Global connectivity, smart technology and automated systems are already part of our daily lives. This brings opportunities and challenges.
We need to better understand how technologies and people are shaping the future together - or "sociotechnical futures". Rather than waiting for the future to happen, we need to get ahead of it.
This demands a new way of working. So, we’re bringing together academics from across disciplines with partners from all sectors, from telecoms to charity, finance to film, charity to government. Find out how to get involved.
In globally unique facilities, we will:
- Create knowledge: across academic disciplines and in partnerships with industry and communities
- Make it real: co-create new digital technologies using experimental sociotechnical research facilities
We became a University Research Institute in 2019 and received £100m in funding and support from Research England and our civic, business and charity partners. This includes a £29m investment from Research England's UK Research Partnership Investment Fund (UKRPIF).
If you'd like to know more about the Bristol Digital Futures Institute, contact us.