1. Purpose
This policy defines Murzo Group’s principles, safeguards, and decision-making framework for ethical collaboration and research cooperation with external parties, including international partners.
Its objectives are to enable lawful, professional, and respectful collaboration, protect Murzo Group’s independence, intellectual property, and security posture, prevent unethical, unsafe, or unlawful outcomes, allocate responsibility clearly between Murzo Group and counterparties, and provide a defensible basis for accepting, restricting, or refusing cooperation.
This policy is intended for public transparency and procurement scrutiny and should be read alongside Murzo Group’s Global Compliance, Data Protection, Security Assurance, Export Controls, and Intellectual Property policies.
2. Scope
This policy applies to all forms of collaboration or cooperation involving Murzo Group, including:
- Research partnerships (formal or informal)
- Technical cooperation, joint development, and prototyping
- Academic, laboratory, and field research activities
- Data sharing, dataset creation, or benchmarking
- AI/ML collaboration (including large language models)
- Demonstrations, pilots, proof-of-concepts, and trials
- Cross-border or multi-jurisdiction engagements
- Any engagement where Murzo Group’s knowledge, methods, or outputs may be shared
It applies to employees, contractors, representatives, and authorised third parties acting on Murzo Group’s behalf.
3. Guiding Principles
3.1 Lawfulness
Murzo Group conducts collaborations in accordance with applicable UK law and recognised international obligations where relevant.
3.2 Integrity & Professional Conduct
Murzo Group acts honestly, avoids misrepresentation, and expects the same from partners.
3.3 Respect & Cultural Professionalism
Murzo Group conducts cooperation respectfully and without political alignment or discrimination, focusing on professional, lawful, and mutually beneficial outcomes.
3.4 Independence
Murzo Group maintains strategic, commercial, and operational independence. Collaboration does not imply agency, partnership, or endorsement.
3.5 Risk Awareness
Murzo Group adopts a precautionary approach where collaboration may introduce safety, ethical, legal, security, or reputational risks.
4. Eligibility & Minimum Standards for Partners
Murzo Group may consider collaboration only where the counterparty can reasonably demonstrate:
- Lawful authority to engage and perform the proposed activities
- A legitimate purpose consistent with professional practice
- Acceptable conduct history (where due diligence indicates)
- Willingness to agree to reasonable confidentiality, security, and compliance safeguards
Murzo Group may decline to collaborate where partner suitability cannot be verified to Murzo Group’s satisfaction.
5. Ethical Risk Areas
Murzo Group assesses collaboration risk across the following areas:
5.1 Human Rights & Harm Risk
Murzo Group seeks to avoid participation in activities that may contribute to unlawful harm, exploitation, or human rights violations.
5.2 Dual-Use & Security Sensitivity
Murzo Group assesses whether outcomes may be repurposed for harmful, unlawful, or security-sensitive applications.
5.3 Environmental Responsibility
Murzo Group considers foreseeable environmental impacts, particularly for fieldwork, biodiversity interaction, and ecological disturbance.
5.4 Data & Privacy
Murzo Group avoids unnecessary handling of personal or sensitive data and applies privacy-by-design and minimisation principles.
5.5 Integrity of Research
Murzo Group seeks to avoid fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, or misleading representation of research outcomes.
6. Due Diligence & Screening
Murzo Group may conduct proportionate due diligence, which may include:
- Identity and legal entity verification
- Sanctions and export-control risk assessment
- Conflict-of-interest assessment
- Reputation and prior conduct review
- Capability and security posture evaluation
Murzo Group retains discretion over whether due diligence is performed, the scope of checks, and the threshold for acceptance. Absence of due diligence does not constitute endorsement of the counterparty.
7. Contracting & Documentation
Where appropriate, collaboration will be governed by written terms which may include:
- Statement of work / research scope
- Intellectual property ownership and licensing terms
- Confidentiality and non-disclosure obligations
- Data protection and security requirements
- Publication and attribution rules
- Compliance obligations (including export controls)
- Termination and suspension rights
No rights are granted by implication. If no written agreement exists, Murzo Group retains all rights and may restrict disclosures.
8. Intellectual Property, Background Know-How & Publications
8.1 Background IP
Murzo Group retains all pre-existing IP, tools, methods, know-how, and processes unless expressly licensed in writing.
8.2 Foreground IP
IP created during collaboration is owned by Murzo Group unless otherwise agreed in writing.
8.3 Publications & Public Disclosure
No publication, presentation, press release, or public disclosure involving Murzo Group may occur without Murzo Group’s prior written approval.
Murzo Group may require review prior to publication, withhold publication approval without explanation, and permit publication subject to security and confidentiality restrictions.
9. Data, Datasets & AI Cooperation
Where collaboration involves datasets, AI, or machine learning:
- Data sharing is limited to what is necessary
- Sensitive personal data is not accepted unless expressly agreed and lawfully supported
- Datasets created during collaboration may be retained, restricted, or deleted per Murzo Group’s data governance rules
- Model internals (weights, architecture, training data, prompts, fine-tuning methods) are not disclosed unless explicitly agreed
Murzo Group reserves the right to restrict, partition, or geographically limit access to AI systems and data.
10. Safety, Fieldwork & Operational Controls
Where collaboration involves physical activities (testing, prototypes, fieldwork, laboratories, workshops):
- Safety responsibilities are defined before activity begins
- Participants must comply with applicable site rules and lawful safety requirements
- Murzo Group may require risk controls or supervision measures
- Counterparties remain responsible for their personnel and conduct
Murzo Group does not guarantee a risk-free environment and does not assume responsibility for third-party safety systems beyond applicable law.
11. National Security, Export Controls & Sensitive Engagements
Murzo Group may restrict or refuse cooperation where export control risk is present, sanctions risk is present, the activity is security-sensitive or dual-use, or the end-use or end-user is unclear or unacceptable.
Murzo Group may require counterparties to provide end-use statements or compliance assurances. Murzo Group is not obliged to proceed where compliance cannot be assured.
12. Conflicts of Interest
Murzo Group may refuse or restrict collaboration where conflicts of interest exist or may reasonably be perceived, dual roles, competing interests, or influence risks are present, or the collaboration could compromise independence or integrity.
Murzo Group retains discretion to determine whether a conflict exists.
13. Transparency, Attribution & Misrepresentation
Counterparties must not:
- Misrepresent Murzo Group’s role, endorsement, or affiliation
- Use Murzo Group’s name, branding, or reputation without written permission
- Imply government approval, certification, or sponsorship
- Present Murzo Group outputs out of context
Murzo Group may require correction, takedown, or public clarification.
14. Right to Refuse, Suspend, or Terminate
Murzo Group reserves the unrestricted right to decline collaboration, suspend access, activities, or disclosures, or terminate cooperation immediately where Murzo Group reasonably believes that legal or ethical risk exists, security concerns arise, counterparties act improperly, information or IP is at risk, or continued cooperation is not in Murzo Group’s interest.
Murzo Group may take such actions without explanation and without liability, subject to applicable law and any written agreement.
15. Liability & Limitations
To the fullest extent permitted by law:
- Murzo Group does not guarantee research outcomes, accuracy, or fitness for purpose
- Murzo Group is not liable for third-party actions, misuse, or onward transfer of outputs
- Murzo Group is not responsible for independent decisions made by counterparties
- Murzo Group does not assume liability for reputational or commercial losses arising from collaboration outcomes
Nothing in this policy excludes liability that cannot be lawfully excluded.
16. Reporting Concerns
Concerns relating to unethical conduct, misuse, or suspected breaches may be reported via:
Email: admin@murzo.co.uk
Murzo Group may investigate and take action at its discretion.
17. Review & Updates
This policy is reviewed periodically and may be updated to reflect legal developments, evolving ethical standards, and operational changes.
Updated versions will be published where appropriate.
