Centre for Future Infrastructure

CFI brings together a wide range of diverse disciplines and key research experts from across the University of Edinburgh working with industry and public sector to support new innovative approaches and solutions. Our expertise can be integrated to support projects from engineering, business, geosciences, architecture, planning, social sciences, informatics, health, science, law and humanities.

Infrastructure is a keystone for cities, towns and communities both globally and locally, it enhances our quality of life, and allows us to live, to work, to trade, to travel and to communicate. The world is changing. Extreme weather events are more frequent, natural resources are diminishing, the potential for conflict to protect scarce resources is increasing, and our global economy has experienced unprecedented shocks. Stability is now more challenging to guarantee. Change is the new norm.

Understanding how our infrastructure supports our life-essentials during these times of constant change is a complex system-of-systems problem. It requires many knowledge sources, many skills and many perspectives. Multi-disciplined and inter-disciplinary teams, utilising data driven and evidence based approaches, are needed to address the challenges of building and maintaining infrastructure systems that are resilient, sustainable and adaptable. A world without well-functioning infrastructure is a world without an equitable future for all.