How to regulate trustworthy innovation is the fundamental question at the core of Roeland’s research and teaching. In his PhD-research, he investigated how the regulatory frameworks on liability and privacy can be optimized in order to better facilitate innovation and consumer acceptance of autonomous vehicles at the European level. AI-regulation, law regarding innovation and consumer protection are his focus, both in his academic work and in his role as lawyer (advocaat, attorney-at-law). 

In the past, Roeland was involved in the CIER-robotics group (the Center for Access to and Acceptance of Autonomous Intelligence), that took part in the EU FET-Flagship candidate Robot Companions for Citizens. Before that (and still) Roeland focused on cultural heritage, digitization and intellectual property. He participated as project researcher in the FP7-funded programme “CULTIVATE”  a three year research collaboration between the universities of Copenhagen, Uppsala, London, Utrecht and Iceland and part of the HERA Joint Research Programme for the theme “Humanities as a Source of Creativity and Innovation”.