Scientific Main Theme

The main theme of the ECSS 2021 was

"Informatics for a Sustainable Future"

Different aspects of the relation between sustainability and informatics were addressed during the three days summit. On the morning of 26 October in particular, we looked at this topic from the perspective of future innovations and safeguards that can be provided by fundamental and applied Computer Science research. We had presentations by:

• Prof. Lorenz Hilty, University of Zurich, Aligning the digital transformation with the UN sustainable development goals;
• Prof. Max Mühlhäuser, Technical University of Darmstadt, Interaction and representation challenges of sustainability related information – The quest for usable sustainability;
• Prof. Marina  Jirotka, University of Oxford, Reading the road: The challenges and opportunities of responsible research and innovation in helping develop sustainable societies;
• Prof. Frank van Harmelen, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Fighting fire with fire: responsible AI through regulation or innovation?

The session was closed with a short panel discussion in which all of the speakers can exchange views on research challenges for guiding us to a new, sustainable future. The session was highly interactive, allowing attendees to pose questions and discuss with the speakers.

The full schedule of this session can be found here.