Digital Engineering Technology and Innovation (DETI)
What is DETI?
The Digital Engineering Technology and Innovation (DETI) programme is investing in the future of digital engineering for our region.
The West of England is a hub for innovative Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) industries, and home to a thriving ecosystem of digital creatives and future arts industries.
However, there is a huge skills and employment gap in the UK for future engineers.

Industry partners
DETI is a strategic programme of the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), delivered by the National Composites Centre, in partnership with;
- Centre for Modelling and Simulation
- Digital Catapult
- UWE Bristol
- University of Bristol
- University of Bath.
Industry partners include Airbus, GKN Aerospace, Rolls-Royce, and CFMS, with contributions from UWE Bristol, Digital Catapult and Siemens. DETI is funded by £5m from WECA, with co-investment from the High Value Manufacturing Catapult and industry.
Skills development
UWE Bristol’s Engineering, Design and Mathematics Department (EDM) are leading the Skills Development branch of DETI, establishing an engineering engagement hub for the West of England, based out of their new School of Engineering building. Working in collaboration with key DETI partners and industry supporters they are delivering three programmes.
Inspire
Encouraging diversity and inclusivity, DETI Inspire engages children in primary and secondary education across the West of England, with a focus on disadvantaged areas. Using curriculum-linked engineering outreach and careers support, we are connecting children with real-life, diverse engineering role models to widen participation and aspirations for STEM careers.
DETI Inspire builds on the success of previous projects founded and launched by UWE Bristol, including Curiosity Connections – the network for inspirational primary STEM education in the West of England, and Women Like Me – a tiered mentoring project for women engineers, and has established the DETI Diversity Demonstrator - a network of high-quality diverse engineering career role models, supported by Inspire to interact with outreach events throughout the West of England.
Transform
Inspiring future generations, the DETI Transform programme plans to engage with further and higher education institutions to map and upgrade current taught provision and demonstrate how digital engineering can contribute to the sustainability goals for the West of England, leading into the next phase of clean and sustainable growth.
Innovate
To ensure the current and future workforce is digital ready, the DETI Innovate programme will examine the tools, technologies, and processes needed to rapidly accelerate engineering capabilities and identify the skills needed to embed a digital culture throughout organisations in the West of England. By undertaking a Skills Gap Analysis, DETI Innovate will map current roles within the design and manufacturing fields to digital skills, both current and future, to understand the gaps and help focus solutions.
Working with the existing engineering community DETI Innovate will ensure courses are ‘fit for purpose’ to build the workforce of the future. Working with established national and regional initiatives, short courses will be developed to enhance digital awareness and a Postgraduate conversion course for technical and non-technical graduates will equip them with the necessary digital skills to fulfil roles in a digital manufacturing workplace.
Further information
Find out more about DETI.
For further information about our DETI Skills programme contact deti@uwe.ac.uk.
You can also read about our progress on the Engineering Our Future blog.
Engineering Our Future blog
Visit the blogFollow our blog to keep in touch with what our current, past, and future engineers are up to and see the impact our students have in the world.
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Families from around Bristol recently came to UWE’s brand new School of Engineering building to enjoy a range of free science and engineering-based activities. The families that came to the event explored different aspects of engineering such as coding and robotics through LEGO Mindstorm and Pepper (our humanoid robot), digitally engineering solutions to citywide problems … Continue reading "UWE’s Engineering Family Fun Day a Great Success!"
UWE’s Engineering Family Fun Day a Great Success!
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Today marks the launch of a new year-long programme that aims to inspire and motivate young people in the West of England to pursue green career pathways. Known as Inspire Sustainability, it is one of three West of England Combined Authority (WECA)-funded initiatives as part of the Green Futures Fund, that, if successful, could be … Continue reading "Shining a light on green job pathways for the next generation"
Shining a light on green job pathways for the next generation
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A toolkit and training for effective youth climate comms and social action UWE Bristol’s Science Communication Unit (SCU) is launching a new Youth Climate Action Toolkit to empower young people to act on things that matter to them. The toolkit is suitable for 16-24-year-olds, and we encourage you to please download and share the kit … Continue reading "A toolkit and training for youth climate social action"
A toolkit and training for youth climate social action
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After the success of this year’s scientist storytelling program in schools, the DETI Inspire team alongside the West of England STEM Ambassador hub is once again offering the highly requested training session to scientists in the South West. Training session is taking place on 13th July, 4 – 6pm at UWE’s Frenchay campus. Once trained, … Continue reading "Engaging Children in STEM Through Storytelling"
Engaging Children in STEM Through Storytelling
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Metro Mayor Dan Norris met the bright young minds behind some of the West of England’s leading green tech initiatives, during a visit to UWE Bristol’s School of Engineering on Frenchay campus last week. Mr Norris met some of the skilled young engineers and entrepreneurs behind some of the region’s leading green initiatives as part … Continue reading "Metro Mayor meets the people behind the West of England’s green tech"
Metro Mayor meets the people behind the West of England’s green tech
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School children from across the West of England came to UWE Bristol recently to share their sustainable transport designs with engineers and peers over a day full of fun and engaging activities. Alongside the team from Graphic Science, the students designed in school vehicles that could cross both water and land, travel hundreds of miles, … Continue reading "Local Schools Take on Sustainable Transport Challenge"
Local Schools Take on Sustainable Transport Challenge
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Tickets are going fast for UWE’s family fun day – taking place on Saturday 25th June in the brand new Engineering building on UWE’s Frenchay campus. Get your free tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/leaders-award-family-fun-day-tickets-344241203707 Running: 10am – 4:30pm We’ll have lots of exciting activities for the whole family – all the best local science-y activities in one … Continue reading "Family Fun day at UWE’s Engineering!"
Family Fun day at UWE’s Engineering!
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The latest group of women to join UWE Bristol’s engineering mentoring programme, Women Like Me, took part in an online re-balancing workshop on May 11th, delivered by Developmental Coach, Joyce Birnie. The workshop Designed as a guided, self-coaching workshop, the session encouraged self-reflection and supported participants to explore some key questions about their own work-life … Continue reading "Exploring our work-life balance: Women Like Me"
Exploring our work-life balance: Women Like Me
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