ELSA Lab for Technical Industry
The ELSA Lab for Technical Industry (ELSA4TI) is a research project focusing on the ethical, legal, social, and economic (ELSA) aspects of artificial intelligence (AI) in the Dutch technical industry. The project aims to support companies, particularly SMEs, in implementing AI in a way that complies with the EU AI Act and other regulations, while also considering societal impacts such as employment, transparency, and accountability.
ELSA4TI employs a futuring approach, a systematic method for mapping future sociotechnical landscapes. Through baseline assessments, future scenarios, and backcasting, the project develops practical tools, such as ELSA Model Cards and policy recommendations, to help businesses and policymakers integrate AI in a sustainable, human-centric, and legally compliant manner.
Work Packages (WPs)
WP1: Project Management
Lead: Prof. dr. Ming Cao (University of Groningen)
Responsible for overall coordination, monitoring, and quality assurance of the project, including reporting to NWO and alignment with all consortium partners.
WP2: Baseline – AI Act in Technical Industry: The Reality of AI Implementation
Lead: Prof. dr. Jeanne Mifsud Bonnici (University of Groningen)
Research into the current challenges of AI implementation in the technical industry, focusing on legal barriers, ethical issues, social impact, and economic considerations. This work package delivers a cross-use case report mapping the legal barriers to AI adoption.
WP3: Vision – From Current to Future AI Applications
Lead: Dr. Ifigeneia Mavridou (Tilburg University)
Development of future scenarios for AI in industry, including a regulatory sandbox (ReS-XR) for testing AI applications in a controlled environment. This work package explores how companies can adapt to a changing ELSA landscape.
WP4: Backcasting – Managing Change
Lead: Dr. Vincent Delke (University of Twente)
Identification of concrete, actionable steps that companies must take now to achieve an ELSA-compliant future. This includes the development of AI ELSA Model Cards, which serve as a guideline for responsible AI implementation.
WP5: Realizing Change through Policy Recommendations
Lead: Dr. Ibrahim Imad (University of Twente)
Development of policy briefs for Dutch and EU policymakers, aimed at improving regulations and standards for AI in the technical industry. This work package provides recommendations for national and international policymakers.
WP6: Community Building, Co-creation, Evaluation, and Dissemination
Lead: Dr. Christos Emmanouilidis (University of Groningen)
Building an ELSA learning community, including a Virtual Learning Centre, workshops, and knowledge sharing. This work package ensures the dissemination of project results and stakeholder engagement.
Partners (Universities)
University of Groningen (UG)
University of Twente (UT)
Tilburg University (TiU)