Digital Transformation Innovation Institute officially launched

Cardiff University has launched a new innovation institute which is driving the digital revolution.

Cardiff University is proud to officially launch the Digital Transformation Innovation Institute. The institute’s focus is on real-world, applicable solutions that are driven by collaboration and partnership with leading public, private, and third sector partners. Its mission is to deliver research with impact so that new digital processes are designed, deployed, and adopted in ways that are transparent, inclusive and with security at their core.

Digital technology has dramatically changed our approach to healthcare, banking, transportation, supply chain and the energy sector. But there remains untapped potential to truly transform our economy and society, with responsible innovation.

The institute brings together the most talented, forward-thinking, and multi-disciplinary research minds, and includes researchers from social sciences, business studies, engineering, computer science and other disciplines.

The institute’s work is currently based around 4 key areas:

• Digital transformation in healthcare - From mapping the genome of viruses to empowering patients to manage their conditions at home using apps and wearable devices, technology is revolutionising the way we think about healthcare. Researchers aligned to our healthcare priority area are drawn from across the university, including engineers, bioinformaticians, data scientists, geneticists, physiotherapists, and immunologists.
• Digital transformation in logistics – The institute’s researchers have developed new forecasting, inventory control, and production planning policies that have helped companies revolutionise their supply chain and logistic models in a way that promotes economic and environmental sustainability.
• Digital transformation in transport – The institute bringing together expertise from across industry, academia, and the public sector to address decarbonisation and sustainability in transportation to realise net zero goals underpinned by a human-centred approach.
• Digital transformation in finance – The institute’s researchers are experts in blockchain and cryptocurrencies, constructing models to predict the behaviour of these emerging financial markets, while democratising access to them via the Cardiff University Bitcoin Database. They are experts in how human behaviour affects financial decision making, and the implications of diversity in accounting and taxation reform.

The institute’s also covers a variety of enabling themes, including cybersecurity, organisational research, human centric computing, and AI and data science.

The launch took place on Thursday 25 May, at Cardiff University’s sbarc/spark building. The event showcased the valuable work being undertaken by the institute, and included presentations from each of the co-directors, as well external partners, and Early Career Researchers. Guests included researchers from Cardiff University and beyond, key external partners, and representatives from industry, including DSV Solutions, Thales, Airbus, and Barclays.

Professor Pete Burnap, Co-Director of the institute, said: “The Digital Transformation Innovation Institute is all about adding value to our partners. We’re bringing together the greatest minds with domain expertise from health to finance, energy to transportation – as well as world-leading expertise in the disciplines that make sustainable digital transformation possible – from cybersecurity to cognitive science, and organisational change."

The Digital Transformation Innovation Institute is part of a £5.4 million investment from Cardiff University in five innovation and research institutes to tackle the biggest issues facing society, the economy, and the environment.