Successful project completion:
irecs Final Conference in Brussels

11 - 12 December 2025

How should we approach new technologies in research fields such as AI, neuroscience or genetics? How can we better support researchers at universities in developing new technologies through improved education and training so that they act responsibly? These are the core questions addressed by irecs.

The EU project irecs, coordinated by DRZE, came to a close with its final conference on 11 and 12 December 2025 in Brussels. Through keynote lectures, panel discussions and exchanges between international project partners, stakeholders and experts, the conference enabled constructive dialogue between academia, industry and policymakers. Such dialogue is essential to ensure that ethical principles such as ‘ethics by design’ are not only formulated, but also embedded in research and innovation practices.

Following the opening address by Joanna Drake on behalf of the European Commission, Christoph Markschies, President of the Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities, emphasised the importance of integrating freedom and responsibility in science.

The contributions from industrial practice were particularly valuable. Michael Sahnau (Microsoft Health) and Karl-Heinz Land (neuland.ai) demonstrated how ethical reflection, governance structures and training formats can be embedded in corporate innovation processes as integral components of responsible technology development. Maura Hiney, Chair of the ALLEA Permanent Working Group on Science and Ethics, further emphasised the importance of shared reference frameworks and European standards for this dialogue. In her presentation, Barbara Prainsack, Chair of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE), urged a reflective response to crises.

Among the project’s key outcomes are the Implementation Guide and the comprehensive Training Materials, which were developed, tested, and refined throughout the project. These resources systematically compile the insights gained in irecs and provide practical  guidance for a variety of institutional and national contexts. In this way, irecs has established a robust foundation on which future initiatives, training programmes and follow-up projects in the field of research ethics can build.

irecs learning materials