Our Research

Understanding risk, trust, and value in the digital age

We provide practical insights and measurable impact to organisations looking to address the effects of digital disruption and to take operational advantage of the emerging digital economy.

Through deep engagement, we develop research and teaching of relevance and impact across industry and government. We work with academic, business, and public sector teams to deliver research-led Insights into digital disruption and its impact.

Send an enquiry today

Key areas

INDEX research contributes to the disciplines of management; design engineering; computer science and innovation management, with a research portfolio of above 17M, we develop novel research and practical insights, tools, and process for the digital economy.

Data and value:
How can new digital technologies enable new value to be created and what new challenges are faced? For example data-driven design, data for health, individual data for storage, and data exchanges.

Digital and society:
What are the impacts of digital technologies upon society? For example ethics, inclusion (of technology), digital health, and public services.

Digital and innovation:
How can we leverage disruptive technologies to create value, enhance performance or address societal questions? For example innovative business models, data-driven design, automation of services, creativity, and enhance human performance.

How we work

INDEX delivers substantive impact through a blend of academic outputs, practice-focused studies, targeted experiments, problem-focused and technology-driven learning, and development engagements.

We are collaborative and multi-disciplinary. We work at the intersection of social science, computer science, innovation, and design engineering, to build deep insights into data-driven design, data intelligence, digital transformation, platform business models, and digital technologies. We aim to create novel world-leading research whilst delivering practical input through our tools, methods, and insight to enhance an organisation’s social value, competitiveness, and innovative capability. Our team bring cross-sector experience, for example: manufacturing, energy aerospace; consumer products; food and defence.

mimi-thian-54uolC2jjm4-unsplash

PhD applications

INDEX welcome PhD applications. Initial queries can be sent to academic staff where research interests align.

PhD Applications

Our research projects

INDEX is currently involved with several research projects, the total value of which stands at over £17 million.

Our currently active projects are listed below:

AI and Data in Design: Advancing the design engineering processes for manufacturing sector

The Defence Data Research Centre (DDRC)

The DIGIT Lab

Digital Twinning NetworkPlus: DTNet+

INCLUsive Digital Economy Network+: INCLUDE+

Systems and People-Centric Innovation in Healthcare Redesign: SPHERE

Challenges of Scaling 3D Printing across a UK Hospital

Digital capabilities and organising vision in the practice of platform innovation

IT investment and media reputation

Platform, or just technology? Six strategic ‘plays’ for UK Government

Realising value from investments in ‘big data’ and analytics

Strategising in digital ecosystems: the role of modelling in developing situational awareness

What Does Data Analytics Leadership Entail?

Women in Blockchain

Addressing Cybersecurity and Cybercrime via a Co-evolutionary Approach To Reducing Human-related Risks (ACCEPT)

​Digitally Enhanced Advanced Services Network+

The Digital Sandwich: Digitised Food Supply Chain

Digital Servitization Demonstrator: From Sensor to Service to Business Success

​Dynamic, Real time, On-demand Personalisation for Scaling (DROPS)

Europe Network Fund

The Internet of Food Things

Investigating the Data Reuse Problem

Micro-Automation Platform for the Professional Service Sector (TAILS)

​​Next Generation Paper

Scoping study of the under-stencil cleaning process innovation at ASM Assembly Systems

Technology Driven Change and Next Generation Insurance Value Chains (TECHNGI)

Turing AI Fellowship: Alan Brown

Turing AI Fellowship: Zena Wood

UK Manufacturing Symbiosis NetworkPlus (UKMSN+)

Zoetis Business Strategies in Digital Animal Health