About the GLE Research Cluster

The University of Salford’s main focus over the coming years is laid out in five high level research questions which will shape our research endeavours in the decade ahead:

1. How can innovations in technology deliver improved productivity?
2. How can we live well for longer?
3. How can we house 9 billion people sustainably?
4. How can we maintain a planet which is beneficial for humankind and all other lifeforms?
5. How can we manage crises without undermining civil society?

At the heart of all these questions are issues of law, regulation, and ethics. In this respect, new challenges prompted by fast-paced technological changes emerge almost on a daily basis, which are not always addressed timely (or adequately) by national governments. As a result, there are significant parts of social life – especially in the digital universe – that are left to the spontaneous ordering of society itself, increasing the risks of further deepening of the already existing economic and social inequalities within it. As part of the GLE research cluster, we focus in particular on the following broad areas of concern:

• Ethics, governance, and regulation of robotics and autonomous systems;
• Regulatory challenges of ‘smart living’ and ‘smart working’;
• Business ‘4.0’ governance and regulation;
• Regulatory and ethical issues sorrounding Big Data/analytics and digital privacy;
• Legal protection of the environment;
• The impact of Brexit on the four Nations of the United Kingdom, their people and businesses; and
• Labour rights, welfare, and access to justice in the ‘digital era’.