The BDFI-Impact-Report-2022 (PDF, 7,104kB) which documents the 12 months until February 2021, details an impressive year of activity and impact – including funding, case studies and ambitions for the year ahead.
BDFI Co-Directors Professor Susan Halford and Professor Dimitra Simeonidou commented:
"Our most significant achievements in the last 12 months centre on places, people and projects.
"Progress on our build as the first occupants of the University of Bristol’s Temple Quarter Campus have been at lightning speed – from identifying opportunity for a new building at the end of 2022, requesting changes to funders, securing planning permission to having works nearing completion this Spring. We are very excited to be able to occupy our new home and look forward to welcoming you to collaborate in our new spaces.
"Our capabilities and governance have been greatly enhanced by a steady stream of new appointments. Four academic appointments are the first of many new roles that will help us work across engineering, social sciences, and the arts. Alongside this, we welcomed Jeremy Silver CEO of Digital Catapult as our first Steering Board Chair with a seven-strong board of community and business leaders.
"To support our projects, partners and direction of travel we launched our first BDFI symposium in January, alongside smaller targeted events on digital twins and participatory digital futures. Part one of our symposium saw more than 100 people joined us for discussions of the latest thinking in sociotechnical futures with a focus on the development of next generation wireless technologies.
"Our research projects are developing core capabilities for BDFI – both for the University and our city-region. These currently focus on future networks, explainable AI, ,smart cities, , digital media and creativity, cyber security, digital manufacturing and digital health. digital technologies and health ageing, digital resilience in Covid-19, etc.
"This year we also welcomed the announcement of a new £10m ESRC Centre for Sociodigital Futures to be based in Bristol. We will work with the new Centre and closely align our work together.
"It’s been a remarkable year and we have our sights firmly set on growing the research base and team in the next twelve months to support and develop new collaborations."