Swiss Data Space Forum 2026
On October 28, 2026, Prilly will host the Swiss Data Space Forum 2026, organized jointly by the Swiss Data Alliance and digitalswitzerland. Under the theme “Unlocking Data for AI,” this new edition will bring together companies, researchers, public policymakers, and data specialists to address a challenge that has become central to the development of artificial intelligence: how can large volumes of data—some of which may be sensitive—be made accessible without compromising data protection, data sovereignty, and trust? The event also serves as an official pre-event for the Geneva AI Summit 2027.
Make data accessible to AI without compromising control, protection, and trust.
At the heart of these discussions, the concept of a data space offers a solution to this challenge: creating controlled environments in which authorized parties can access and interact with data stored in a decentralized manner, in accordance with predefined purposes and rules. This approach is particularly relevant for developing in-house AI models or automating processes that require cross-referencing data from multiple organizations. The Forum will therefore address the conditions necessary for their implementation: standards and interoperability, governance and data stewardship, data quality, data culture, privacy protection, and the operational translation of ethical and legal frameworks. Sessions dedicated to data as a strategic asset, AI-ready data, trust, resilient ecosystems, and the Swiss AI model Apertus will further explore these topics through use cases and workshops.
Highlights of the program include:
- A Data-Driven Vision for Innovation in Switzerland with Martina Hirayama, State Secretary for Education, Research, and Innovation (SERI).
- How AI Research Contributes to Digital Sovereignty, with Thomas Schulthess, Professor and Director of the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS).
- Why AI Needs Better-Quality Data, Not Just More Data, with Diego Kuonen, Assistant Professor at the University of Geneva.
- What Private Organizations Expect from the Public Sector, with Jurgi Camblong, Founder and Executive Chairman of SOPHiA GENETICS
- Free Knowledge in the Age of AI: Lessons Learned from Wikimedia with Alek Tarkowski & Ilario Valdelli by Shani Evenstein & Wikimedia CH
For SMEs in French-speaking Switzerland, the Swiss Data Space Forum thus offers an opportunity to approach AI through one of its most critical resources: data. Beyond the choice of models and tools, the event will provide a better understanding of how to structure, secure, share, and leverage data, as well as under what conditions to collaborate with other stakeholders without losing control of it. These issues are becoming particularly strategic as companies seek to move from experimenting with AI to business applications based on their own data.
