University launches Digital Futures Lab to drive innovation in technology and culture

The University of Wolverhampton is proud to announce the launch of its Digital Futures Lab, a pioneering initiative designed to explore how emerging technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) can transform research, business, and cultural practices.

The launch event will take place on 7 February 2026, from 2–5 pm, at the George Wallis Building, Ring Road St Peters, WV1 1DT. This exciting new space will serve as a hub for collaboration between academics, students, businesses, and cultural organisations, fostering innovation and knowledge exchange across disciplines.

Attendees will have the opportunity to:

• Discover cutting-edge applications of VR and AI.
• Learn how digital tools are reshaping approaches to language, literature, and culture.
• Explore opportunities for partnerships and research projects that drive real-world impact.

Speakers include:

Professor Karina van Dalen-Oskam: Novel Perceptions: towards an inclusive canon

Professor Denise Doyle: Poetry, virtual reality and digital embodiment

Professor Sebastian Groes: Authorship, influence and computational analysis: Margaret Atwood and Naomi Alderman

Professor Alex Goody: AI technology and autism spectrum disorder

Dr Asami Nakamura: Chatbots, biases and virtual companions

Professor Sebastian Groes, Director of the Lab said: “The Digital Futures Lab embodies our commitment to innovation in research and culture. As Higher Education evolves, the Arts and Humanities are embracing digital and computational methods to open new perspectives on literature, language, and society. At Wolverhampton, we’re combining expertise in areas such as Computational Literary Studies to develop creative, technology-driven solutions that address social challenges, enhance health and wellbeing, and contribute to global sustainability goals.”

The Digital Futures Lab reflects the University’s commitment to advancing digital scholarship and supporting regional growth through technology-driven solutions.

Registration is now open: https://bit.ly/4q9nRfY

For further details, please visit the University of Wolverhampton website or contact the Digital Futures Lab team led by Professor Sebastian Groes at s.groes@wlv.ac.uk.