Ethical, legal and economic implications of regulation of robotics, and the social concerns arising from development of emerging technologies will be explored during the second edition of the summer school on “The regulation of robotics in Europe: legal, ethical and economic implications” to be held on July 3-8, 2017, in Pisa, Sant’Anna School, as part of the Jean Monnet Project, funded by the European Commission through the Erasmus + program. The Opening Ceremony starts at 9.30 on Monday, July 3 and will bring together academics, experts, companies and business associations representatives.

Participants include: Bjoern Juretzki, Policy Officer at European Commission; Maria Chiara Carrozza, member of the Italian Parliament and professor of Biorobotics at Sant’Anna School; Arturo Baroncelli, business development manager – Comau S.p.A.; Nicola Vitiello, professor of Biorobotics at Sant’Anna School; Andrea Bertolini, assistant professor of private law at Sant’Anna School and the coordinator of the summer school.

Keynote speakers will focus on robots and liability issues, the safety standards for industrial robots, robot-testing in human environments, and the ethical issues related to the current robotics policy.

 The summer school, consisting of 40 hours lectures, is aimed at undergraduate, masters or doctoral students who plan to undertake research activity in university in the field of legal or technical sciences, with social sciences background (lawyers, economists, philosophers and political scientists) or with engineering backgrounds. Lectures will also provide professionals and consultants with the opportunity for enhancing the skills required for working in robot manufacturers’ companies.

In Sant’Anna School, many researchers were involved in EU project “RoboLaw”, coordinated by Erica Palmerini, professor of private law. The RoboLaw project focused on the development of technologies such as robotics and artificial intelligence, with particular attention to ethical and legal issues. The guidelines on the regulation of robotics for the European Parliament and the European Commission, which Andrea Bertolini recently presented before the JURI European Parliament Committee on Legal Affairs, represent the result of the “RoboLaw” project.

“The Summer course – said Andrea Bertolini – will focus on the regulation of robotics, the development of robotics tools in hazardous environments (to assist humans) and the impact of robotics and autonomous systems on several aspects of value chain: manufacturing and the production of goods; healthcare services to the consumers; transport and energy and the management of infrastructures”.