It was wonderful to welcome over 40 collaborator and partner colleagues to CenSoF’s away day on 23 May 2023. One year on since the Centre was established, this event was an important opportunity to reflect on not only what we have achieved so far, but also to look forward to the future.

When looking back over the last year, the team shared personal and collective highlights, including celebrating the diversity of expertise and knowledge across the Centre – and its importance when considering possible futures. It was also noted that the team is actively engaging with a variety of different audiences, trialling digital technologies with different community groups.

“CenSoF is an organic community that has come together to extend its reach through shared experimentation in order to think differently about sociodigital futures,” Dr Jess Pykett, University of Birmingham

It was recognised that the team is now much more than the “sum of its collective parts” (yes, we really did use that well-worn phrase, but with reason!) with a clear vision of where we are, what we need to do, and how we will get there. A common theme was the uniqueness of the Centre in supporting researchers, policy, industry and others to think differently about the future, using a range of theories, practices and methods to provoke innovation. CenSoF is very much – and purposefully – not ‘business as usual’ and this is key to innovation.

When considering the Centre’s ‘next act’, the event’s participants were looking forward to making new tools and resources, publishing reports and outputs and, of course, helping to shape new futures. More specifically, we will engage with change-agents and practitioners alike, both nationally and internationally, in order to meet our shared aim of supporting fair and sustainable futures.

In summary it was recognised that, while the Centre still has much work to do, its members have a strong, shared understanding of what we want to achieve. Our research is taking shape, and we are now in a position to see massive acceleration in our thinking and sharing around sociodigital futures. We look forward to sharing more, as we move forward into Year 2 of the life of the Centre.