Current Projects

The European Commission has published a draft implementing regulation on the establishment of AI Regulatory Sandboxes pursuant to the AI Act. These sandboxes are intended to provide a framework within which innovative AI applications can be tested under regulatory supervision.

As part of the public consultation process, the LawCom.Institute has submitted a statement on the draft.
From the Institute’s perspective, the Commission’s draft does not fully meet expectations. It would be desirable to ensure a stronger integration of the sandboxes into the EU’s AI ecosystem and to provide clearer guidance on governance structures.

The draft implementing regulation is available on the European Commission’s website here.

Our full statement is available for download here.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) holds enormous potential for the economy, businesses and the administration. AI is of outstanding importance for the development of Hamburg. However, AI also encounters considerable reservations and factual challenges, particularly with regard to possible misuse, transparency or handling of data. With the AI Act, which was still in the coordination process between the EU Commission, the Council and the European Parliament at the time of publication of the studies, the EU wants to counter this development and establish binding guard rails and concrete requirements for the use of AI systems worldwide for the first time.

With two studies commissioned by the Hamburger Behörde für Wirtschaft und Innovation (BWI) and the Innovations- und Förderbank Hamburg (IFB), the LawCom.Institute and the Artificial Intelligence Centre (ARIC e.V.) have analysed challenges in dealing with AI, outlined the coming European regulatory framework and developed technical and institutional recommendations for Hamburg in a cooperative collaboration between lawyers, political and cultural scientists, computer scientists and practitioners from business and administration, among others. The studies aim to analyse legal changes and societal needs and to support in particular small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as the administration of the FHH in the transformation, to give recommendations and to strengthen the AI ecosystem in Hamburg. The focus is on the claim of "Responsible Artificial Intelligence", i.e. the socially responsible, ethical use of artificial intelligence.

Together with the Artificial Intelligence Centre (ARIC e.V.) and 2do digital GmbH, the LawCom.Institute has launched the RAI Alliance - an association of companies and stakeholders from Hamburg and beyond to work together on the socially and ethically responsible use of AI.

The aim of the RAI Alliance is to maintain a continuous dialog with various players from business, science and politics. The RAI Alliance offers a platform for exchange and cooperation in order to jointly develop solutions to the challenges of AI use. RAI Alliance partners include TUI Cruises, Lufthansa Industry Solutions, the Otto Group, LUIS Technology and Tiplu.

As LawCom.Institute, we work to build knowledge and establish the culture of Responsible AI. We are committed to developing and using AI technologies in such a way that they serve the good of society and economic development. We attach great importance to ethical and transparent approaches that make the most of the many opportunities offered by AI while addressing the associated challenges.
At LawCom.Institute, we believe that only by networking and joining forces we will succeed in shaping a future that offers opportunities and in which we can take on challenges.

The project is funded by the Hamburger Behörde für Wirtschaft und Innovation (BWI).

Find out more about the RAI Alliance, our mission and how we want to shape the future of AI responsibly.

Alternative dispute resolution mechanisms can be an option to strengthen rule of law structures and better address national needs. This is the aim of our project study on the status of arbitration in Africa.

Commissioned by the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, it analyses the possibilities of establishing cooperation between African arbitration institutions and the Chamber of Commerce. The study also focuses on a critical and sensitive view of the different legal needs of various stakeholders, thus reflecting the mission of the Mission des LawCom.Institute, which promotes the rule of law and democracy. The focus is not only on Germany but also consciously on other regions of the world.

This finding was the starting point for our "Project study on possible cooperation with arbitration institutions in Africa", which was commissioned by the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce in March 2022. The aim was to identify African arbitration institutions whose rules of procedure and organizational structures meet international standards. Based on the results of this study, the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation, commissioned us to design a cooperation with the arbitration institutions CRCICA in Cairo (Egypt), KIAC in Kigali (Rwanda) and NCIA in Nairobi (Kenya) and to support the implementation. An expansion to other African arbitration institutions is being considered.

This project of cooperation project is anchored in the spirit of promoting international friendship and understanding. The significant added value lies in the connection of the two areas of rule of law and economics, with a shared commitment to create a conducive environment for this purpose. It contributes to ensuring that dispute resolutions through arbitration are primarily conducted on-site within the African continent.

The African arbitral institutions engaged in this cooperation have put up impactful platforms for resolving disputes through arbitration in the continent. In their pursuit to elevate the level of arbitration, they have deemed it fit to create a network that allows them to share their strengths, knowledge, markets and find solutions to common challenges in a way that will make them further develop sustainable trade while increasingly promoting commercial dispute resolution. The focus is to ensure that the seats of these institutions become highly competitive as global arbitration venues.

The Hamburg Chamber of Commerce is geared towards a future of cross-continental business networks that promote inclusivity, equality of terms and a sustainable network of trade development and open dispute resolution mechanism for German business engaged in transnational trade.

Details of the planned steps to implement the cooperation can be found in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the cooperation partners in Nairobi on March 7, 2023.

LawCom.Institute has prepared a preliminary study on behalf of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce on the feasibility and design of a specialized arbitration mechanism for sustainability-related commercial disputes. The aim is to enable companies to resolve disputes in a legally secure and efficient manner while meeting sustainability goals.
Key findings and recommendations

• The study shows that compliance with sustainability criteria has become a central element of responsible corporate governance. This results in a growing need for specialized dispute resolution mechanisms that appropriately consider not only legal but also ecological and social aspects.
• It was found that existing arbitration procedures often show deficits regarding transparency, expertise, and acceptance in sustainability matters. In particular, there is a lack of sufficiently qualified arbitrators with sustainability competence and of clear arbitration rules tailored to sustainability.
• The study therefore recommends the development of specific arbitration rules for sustainability disputes, the creation of a pool of certified arbitrators with ESG expertise and the establishment of a dedicated institute for sustainability arbitration. This institute should bundle research, training and the development of standards and cooperate closely with existing institutions such as the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce and its affiliated Hamburg International Arbitration Center (HIAC) and the Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC).