Ethics and Innovation Forum

The Ethics and Innovation Forum, a joint initiative of the University of Glasgow and Radboud University, promotes ethical reflection and interdisciplinary dialogue on science, technology, and innovation.

The SynSci2026 Ethics and Innovation Forum programme is organised around five interconnected session themes:

1. Science, Trust & the Common Good examines how confidence in science can be fostered amid uncertainty and misinformation. 
2. Engineering a New Bioethics explores how advances in biotechnology – from synthetic biology to precision medicine – invite new ways of thinking about responsibility and human flourishing. 
3. Ethics, Risk & Governance considers how ethical insight can inform regulatory and institutional responses to technological advances. 
4. Emerging Ethics for Emerging Technologies addresses the ethical challenges and opportunities posed by rapidly evolving fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and data science, and the need for adaptive ethical frameworks. Finally, 
5. Digital Literacy, Ethical Literacy, Civic Literacy explores the role of education and engagement in building inclusive, informed, and participatory technological futures.

Together, these sessions reflect the Forum’s aim to bridge theory and practice, encouraging dialogue that makes ethics an active and creative force in shaping responsible innovation. The Forum welcomes abstracts that engage with these themes from across disciplines, perspectives, and areas of practice.