AI4SFS, the ELSA lab in Wageningen
The ELSA Lab at Wageningen University & Research focuses on the responsible and trustworthy development and use of AI in the agri‑food sector. By integrating ethical, legal, and social aspects from the earliest stages of AI design and collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders, the lab translates ELSA values into practice. Through ELSA Scans, research, and stakeholder dialogue, the ELSA Lab provides both scientific insights and practical guidance to support AI innovations that are sustainable, fair, and socially accepted.
ELSA Labs in the Netherlands
The ELSA Labs in the Netherlands emerged from growing societal and policy‑level recognition that artificial intelligence (AI) must be not only technologically advanced, but also ethically responsible, legally robust, and socially embedded. Initiated around 2020–2021 by the Dutch AI Coalition (NL AIC) and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), the labs were established as practice‑oriented, participatory environments that integrate Ethical, Legal and Societal Aspects (ELSA) into AI innovation. Operating within a quadruple‑helix model that brings together academia, government, industry and societal actors, the first ELSA Labs laid the foundation for a national ecosystem focused on human‑centric and trustworthy AI. So far, 27 ELSA Labs have been established across a range of critical domains, including media, healthcare, public safety, defense, agriculture, mobility, and public services, with more expected in the coming years.
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To help realizing these goals, we are always open for new partners to contribute cases, to extent the knowledge base on ELSA challenges and opportunities in new emerging problem areas, and to analyse best practices. Interested?
