Switch Cloud for Swiss Genomics Research
Following the successful demonstration of a secure infrastructure, Switzerland has officially joined the Federated European Genome-phenome Archive (FEGA). As part of a consortium of six institutions coordinated by the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), novel technical developments like Switch Cloud will be used as a secure platform to safeguard sensitive patient data. The FEGA project will deepen our understanding of health and diseases, accelerate personalised therapies and support the implementation of large-scale genomics and health data initiatives in Switzerland and beyond.
Secure platform for sensitive patient data
Human genome data are one of the most important resources for disease research and the development of personalised therapies. At the same time, these data pose high demands on data protection and IT security, as they are highly sensitive. In close collaboration with ETH Zurich and BioMedIT, the Switch Cloud is being developed specifically to meet these security and data protection requirements and to provide a robust environment for storing sensitive data. Data always remains in Switzerland, which guarantees Swiss digital sovereignty. With Swiss FEGA, through the Switch Cloud, data can be provided in a controlled and legally compliant manner, which builds trust among patients, researchers and authorities.
Connection to the global research network FEGA
By joining FEGA, Switzerland is now part of this growing international network, which provides researchers around the world with federated access to genomics data stored in national nodes in Europe and Canada. The connection to FEGA allows data to be shared securely without having to be physically exported from Switzerland. This enables cross-border collaboration and promotes scientific progress in the field of genome research. Switch provides the technical foundations for this connection through its cloud infrastructure, thereby supporting Switzerland's integration into this international network. This collaboration not only strengthens research, but also Switzerland's position in the European and global scientific community. By the end of the year, Swiss FEGA plans to be launched with the first Genome of Switzerland datasets and will grow further as new data are sequenced across the country.
Partnership-based collaboration for research and innovation
The Swiss FEGA node is created with seed funding from the Swiss Personalized Health Network (SPHN) and led by Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), with ETH Zürich - Scientific IT Services (ETH-SIS), ETH Zürich - NEXUS Personalized Health Technologies (NEXUS), Health 2030 Genome Center (H2030GC), Swiss Data Science Center (SDSC), and Switch as key partners. With its longstanding experience in operating trusted digital infrastructure for education and research, Switch provides a dependable foundation through the Switch Cloud. Beyond its technical role, the project also reflects Switch’s involvement in collaboration and co-creation across institutional boundaries: Swiss FEGA brings together organisations from diverse fields – data science, genomics, IT infrastructure, and healthcare – to develop a secure and sustainable solution that fosters innovation, exchange, and continuity within the Swiss research community and beyond.
