Stirling professor launches legal innovation exchange

An associate professor in law at the University of Stirling is launching an online exchange to bring together and promote all sectors of the profession in Scotland.

Dr Guido Noto La Diega has been awarded funding from the Royal Society of Edinburgh to create the Scottish Law and Innovation Network (SCOTLIN). Claimed to be the first of its kind, the hub will allow experts working in academia, legal professions, and civil society to come together to develop and share research, excellence in teaching, and societally beneficial law and policy innovations.

Led by Dr Noto La Diega with Dr Rossana Ducato, of the University of Aberdeen, and the University of Glasgow’s Professor Martin Kretschmer, the new body is open to any Scotland-based expert in law and innovation, as well as to those with an interest in the field.

Over the first two years of the network, SCOTLIN aims to work to identify the scope for a distinct Scottish policy on innovation, strengthen capacity and resilience – in particular among the next generation of researchers and professionals – and contribute to topical themes such as "Interventions for sustainability in a post-COVID world". There are plans for interactive workshops, regular expert talks, a symposium for early career researchers and an annual conference.

An interactive map will also be created on SCOTLIN’s website to highlight and identify people and research interests and encourage opportunities for collaboration.

Dr Noto La Diega commented: “SCOTLIN aims to bridge academic and professional silos, in order to get the most out of our multidisciplinary knowledge in the field of law and innovation. It also aims to increase public awareness and education about key issues ranging from digital privacy to the regulation of artificial intelligence, from business tech-readiness through to algorithmic accountability.”