Ethical x Digital Futures Research Lab (E-FRE) focuses on research that combines knowledge from different fields to contribute to a more ethical, equal, and sustainable society. Our mission is to bridge in-depth understanding of human cultures and institutions with design and creation of digital technology ideas, concepts, and software, in order to frame socio-technical phenomena in transformative ways.

Our interdisciplinary expertise includes fields such as cultural anthropology, media and internet studies, human-computer interaction, (participatory) design, science & technology studies, critical software and algorithm studies, media education, and futures studies.

Currently, our work is centered on four research projects:

• DISC (2020-2025), a five-year project funded by the Academy of Finland, which studies digital inequalities in smart cities and also aims to find ways to enhance digital equality.

• Trust-M (2022-2025) project examines trust and intends to develop digital tools for public services to make them more inclusive and accessible to all.

• Aalto University’s internal, Radical Creativity funded project Co-How (2022-2024) develops strategies and tools for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaboration.

• In the project Imagining Sustainable Digital Futures (Research Council of Finland, 2022-2025) methods are developed to imagine alternative futures using creative methods such as AI art and design fiction.

E-FRE is affiliated with Information Networks degree program, and physically located at the department of Computer Science. Don’t hesitate to be in contact if you want to know more or if you are interested in collaboration, our research seminar, or supervision!