Workshop Dilemmas of choice: Responsibility in nanotechnology development June 6-7, 2011, Rovigo (Italy)

The Centre for Environmental Law Decisions and Corporate Ethical Certification of the University of Padua – CIGA (Italy) and the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology – ITAS (Germany) invite submissions of abstracts to be presented at Workshop Dilemmas of choice.
Responsibility in nanotechnology development. The conference will take place on June 6-7, 2011 in Rovigo (Italy), hosted by the University of Padua.

The workshop aims to discuss the important issue of responsible nanotechnology development. Though this notion is crucial to policy and research alike, the notion of responsibility is far from being clear and shared, affecting also the coherence of policy formulation and implementation.

Thus, the main objectives are:

§ To provide a platform for discussing the complex meanings of responsibility in nanotechnology R&D
§ To create a multidisciplinary forum for analysing the relationship between responsibility and nanotechnology policy in Europe and beyond

Tentatively, two thematic strands were formed:
§ Regulation, responsibility and uncertainty
§ Coordination mechanisms of responsibility in nanotechnology policy and R&D processes

Examples of research topics to be addressed include:

§ Relationships between ethics and regulation

§ Participatory mechanisms as a resource for responsibility
§ Risk and environmental safety
§ Corporate social responsibility
§

Though the primary focus of the workshop is nanotechnology, abstracts focusing on other emerging technological fields (e.g. Biotechnology,Bioinformatics, Energy technologies, Information technology, Material Sciences, Robotics) are most welcome as they provide exemplary cases and valuable lessons. All abstracts (maximum 1000 words) should be prepared and sent in electronic form (.doc or .pdf) to: ciga@unipd.it by March 31, 2011.

Attendees are not required to pay any registration fee. Financial support for travel and accommodation is available for selected speakers. Inquiries and applications for financial support to: ciga@unipd.it.

All submitted abstracts will be subject to a peer review. All abstracts shall be submitted online to ciga@unipd.it

Important dates

Abstract submission: March 31, 2011
Notification of Acceptance/Rejection: April 15, 2011
Workshop: June 6-7, 2011

For further information on the workshop, see: http://www.ciga.unipd.it