Regulating technologies. (360G-Wellcome-080251_Z_06_Z)

Title of meeting: "Regulating Technologies" There are four reasons why a conference of this kind is both timely and needed. First, although there are research centers in the UK that focus on the regulation of particular technologies (mainly IT and biotechnology), hitherto no one has tried to bring together these particular research lines to draw whatever generic lessons might be learned. Secondly, hitherto, no one has attempted to join up thinking about the regulability of technology with the potential of technology to function as a regulatory tool. Thirdly, the context for regulation and technology is increasingly international. A gathering of interested parties from North America and Europe presents an opportunity to begin building an international research network. Fourthly, any useful thinking about this topic must open itself to all relevant disciplines. Again, the conference presents an opportunity to begin building an interdisciplinary network. The principal topics to be covered are: - the regulation of today's technologies (principally biotechnology and ICT); - the regulation of tomorrow's technologies (principally nanotechnology and neurotechnology); and - the potential of technology (all the above technologies) as a regulatory tool.