The ethical challenges posed by the use of emerging technologies and the current climate change that we all face have been examined by ethicists in newly founded research centers all around the world. Yet, until recently, there was no comparable research program in the Czech Republic, and only a few relevant research initiatives in the Central-Eastern European area.

The Horizon Europe funded project CETE-P, led by Prof. Mark Coeckelbergh (University of Vienna) one of the most prolific and innovative authors in philosophy of technology and environment, will help to remedy this situation by establishing the Center for Environmental and Technology Ethics – Prague, based at the Institute of Philosophy, the largest humanities institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS). The main mission of this international research center is to contribute to advancing state-of-the-art knowledge in environmental and technology ethics, in particular by focusing on issues that are globally under-researched, and/or imperative in the Central-Eastern European area.

At the same time the project CETE-P will enable to implement a set of structural changes at the Institute of Philosophy CAS, in particular in the areas of HR, international grant support, research management and institutional culture. These changes will improve the international visibility of the Institute and contribute to its better integration into the European research landscape.

Finally, the project CETE-P aims to overcome the existing barriers between the general public, concerned stakeholders and the research community, as well as facilitate the flow of expert ethical opinions in the wider societal debate on the ethical issues concerning technologies and environment. In its long-term impact, this project shall contribute to further increase in public visibility of Social Sciences and Humanities research and its relevance for tackling urgent societal and political issues.