Equitable Technology Laboratory
Source: https://www.york.ac.uk/research/sparks/equitable-technology-laboratory/ Parent: https://www.york.ac.uk/about/departments/sciences/
Placing equity at the heart of innovation
The Equitable Technology Laboratory (ETL) will deliver a reimagined process of innovation that embeds equity in technology development.
Conventional innovation processes fail to engage with the social and political context within which technologies are used and produced. As a result, technologies frequently fail to meet intended needs, reinforce social and economic marginalisation and leave societal priorities unresolved.
The ETL will facilitate collaborations between academia, civil society and public, private and third-sector organisations to deliver solutions that respond to societal need, are appropriate for the context of use, and actively contribute to transforming drivers of inequality.
Contact us
Project highlights
Environmental monitoring
Co-development toolbox
Experiences of healthcare technology
The transdisciplinary approach of the ETL will not only deliver impact through equitable, socio-technical solutions, it will also establish a new field of applied academic research.
Professor Jonathan Ensor
News and publications
Find out more about recent developments by reading our latest stories and recent publications.
ETL’s technology development approach addresses governance failings in UK fishery
11 November 2025
A new project explores the potential of co-designed water quality monitoring devices to drive environmental justice.
Island Innovation
13 May 2025
Seminar kicks off a week of collaboration between ETL and Isle of Scilly Community Venture.
ETL in Royal Academy of Engineering magazine Ingentia
7 April 2025
An article by ETL members Robert Farnan, Steve Johnson and Jonathan Ensor is now in the Royal Academy of Engineering's magazine, Ingentia.
From Bias to Equity: Rethinking Medical Device Development
20 March 2025
ETL publish a letter in The Guardian newspaper in response to the Equity in Medical Devices: Independent Review.
Work with us
Researchers
Develop interdisciplinary projects that help to rethink innovation.
Technology developers
Form new collaborations that will help you build technologies that meet the needs of all users.
Technology users
Work with ETL to resolve persistent societal challenges.
The ETL supports scientists and engineers to conduct research that better addresses societal challenges and enables equitable benefits to flow from the application of their technology.
Professor Steven Johnson
Research themes
You can read more about the research themes in ETL’s Equitable technology framework (PDF .
Equitable technology methods
Socio-technical engineering
Technology and inequality
YorkTalks 2025
Watch ETL co-lead Jonathan Ensor presenting an overview of our approach to equitable technology at the University of York’s 2025 YorkTalks event.
This talk summarises ETL’s approach as one that is simultaneously social and technical, and foregrounds the knowledge and experience of end users in technology development. Two examples illustrate how this can lead to technologies that provide benefits to otherwise marginalised groups and are able to help transform underlying drivers of inequality.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzTbQgltjLo&t=3s
People
Our team draws together researchers from many different disciplines across the University.
Our expertise is wide-ranging and continuously evolves as new team members join us.