  The recent discovery of topologically protected surface states in the
noncentrosymmetric $\alpha$-BiPd and the centrosymmetric $\beta$-Bi$_{2}$Pd has
renewed the interest in the Bi-Pd family of superconductors. Here, we employ
first-principles calculations to investigate the structure, electronic, and
topological features of $\beta$-Bi$_{2}$Pd, in bulk and in thin films of
various thicknesses. We find that the Van der Waals dispersion corrections are
important for reproducing the experimental structural parameters, while the
spin-orbit interaction is critical for properly describing the appearance of
topological electronic states. By increasing the thickness of the slab, the
Dirac-cone surface states and the Rashba-type surface states gradually emerge
at 9 and 11 triple-layers.
