Cross-cutting Research

Future Flight Social Insight (FFSI) is an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded cross-cutting research programme being run by a team at the University of Birmingham that investigates the potential impact of novel aviation technologies on different sectors of society. By engaging with these communities early on, the aim is to understand their

hopes, concerns, and expectations in order to shape how these technologies are implemented. It also seeks to understand the readiness of existing governance structures for implementing Future Flight technologies. This should help to identify where gaps exist and where additional resources may be required.

Future Flight Social Insight at the University of Birmingham

Strand 1: Engaging Concerned Communities

Many stakeholders within the Future Flight ecosystem are concerned about possible obstacles to innovation stemming from friction with affected communities or special interest groups. This strand will engage concerned groups and communities in dialogue with the Future Flight Challenge, including professional pilots and the general aviation community, ‘Green’ and conservation groups, air sports enthusiasts (hang gliders, paragliders etc.), and land-owners or those bodies which have land stewardship responsibilities.

Strand 2: Local Governance of Future Flight Innovation (LOGoFF)

This strand of research will take a comparative case study approach that examines the institutional response to the development of Future Flight technologies/infrastructure within local and regional government. The research will take a regional approach that maps onto up to four local or regional authorities.

Strand 3: Media Messaging and Cultural Narratives

This strand of the research will focus on analysing the existing cultural and media narratives that are informing both publics’ opinions and technological innovation. More importantly it will examine the interaction and feedback between the three. To achieve this, we will undertake research with Future Flight Challenge Phase 3 award holders and key innovation ecosystem stakeholders.

Strand 4: Diversity and Inclusion in Future Flight

This strand will research marginalised and minoritised communities’ (BAME communities, people from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, women, and LGBTQ+ communities) lived experiences of current aviation and other transport systems. The research will focus on (barriers to) these communities’ access to aviation and wider transport systems, and how this might relate to potential future forms of social exclusion with emerging Future Flight technologies.

Strand 5: Local and Regional Planning

This strand will investigate the role that local and regional planning is likely to play in the building and operation of Future Flight on ground infrastructure (e.g., vertiports, drone hubs, air traffic monitoring sensors etc). The planning system is complex, multi-layered and fragmented in the UK, particularly in regard to transport and infrastructure. This strand of research aims to unpack planning processes and responsibilities, aiming for a better understanding of how they will impact and be impacted by the arrival of Future Flight technologies.

Information for Research Participants

As this is part of a broader programme of social science, we will be undertaking targeted recruitment of research participants from publics and organisations across the UK, particularly those who might have specific concerns or interests in this area. We really value all participants’ involvement in this research.

Participation in this research is entirely voluntary, and any participant is free to withdraw from any part of the FFSI research programme at any time up to the completion of data analysis (by 1st March 2024) without giving a reason and without there being any negative consequences,

by contacting the UKRI Future Flight Challenge Social Science Research Director Professor Fern Elsdon-Baker by email (soc-c-ffcsocialsci@adf.bham.ac.uk).

Participants are also able to terminate their participation in any research activity (such as an interview or focus group) whilst it is being conducted, at any time, without consequence. The Future Flight Social Insight research team is made up of academic researchers and adheres to the highest standards of research integrity. Whilst we work closely with the UKRI teams and other policymakers and regulators, our research, data collection, and analysis is managed independently of these organisations.

If you would like to find out more, please get in contact.