Inclusive Futures workshop on DRI pathways

I attended the Inclusive Futures: User Cultural Stories and Mapping Pathways for NFCS workshop hosted by UCL Knowledge Lab at the Edinburgh Futures Institute in March 2026. The session brought together participants interested in the future of national and federated digital research infrastructures, including how different research communities might access and benefit from them.
Through scenario-planning exercises, we explored possible 2040 futures for DRI, considering questions around centralised versus distributed control, epistemic diversity, user needs, training, and accessibility. The discussions were especially useful for thinking about why some A&H and social science researchers may not currently see HPC or DRI as being “for them”.
For my DISKAH work, the workshop offered a helpful model for designing a future dRTP leadership training session. Similar futures-style exercises could help participants map risks, governance challenges, partner needs, and practical pathways for more inclusive DRI pilot projects.