EMIL , “EMergence In the Loop: simulating the two way dynamics of norm innovation“, is a three-year EC funded project (Sixth Framework Programme – Information Society and Technologies – Citizens and Governance in the Knowledge Based Society) involving six Partners: the Institute of Cognitive Science and Technology, National Research Council, Italy; University of Bayreuth, Dept. of Philosophy, Germany; the Centre for Research on Social Simulation University of Surrey, United Kingdom; Universität Koblenz-Landau KL Germany; Manchester Metropolitan University, Centre for Policy Modelling MMU United Kingdom; AITIA International Informatics Inc. Hungary

EMIL is aimed at understanding and developing design strategies able to cope with a particular type of complex entities, i.e. social systems. These are characterized by a 2-way dynamics, consisting of emergent and immergent processes: emergence from interaction among individual agents to aggregate level, and immergence of entities (norms) at the aggregate level into agents’ minds. A summary of main theoretical goals is:

• understand and manage complexity in social systems with autonomous agents;
• understand how new conventions and norms emerge and spread in these systems;
• study of norm innovation by means of agent-based simulation.

The main technological aim of the project is to construct a simulator for exploring and experimenting upon norm-innovation. Forecasted impact of the project is to contribute to the regulation of e-communities by handing out a simulator for the emergence of new norms in complex social systems. :::Project website