Executive Summary

The Swiss Science Council (SSC) published a report on May 12, 2026, calling for a national strategy for data- and compute-intensive research. The SSC recommends establishing a multi-tiered, interoperable computing infrastructure covering regional to international levels and based on long-term financing. Central to this is the creation of an independent, national strategic governing body as well as the development of an AI infrastructure strategy with principles such as flexibility, scalability, and digital sovereignty. The report identifies rapid technological dynamics and international competition as opportunities to strengthen Swiss research excellence in the field of AI.

Persons

Topics

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • Computing Infrastructure
  • Research Policy
  • National Strategy
  • Digital Sovereignty

Clarus Lead

The SSC's recommendations address a central governance gap: while other countries are systematically expanding their AI capacities, Switzerland lacks a coordinated, long-term financed infrastructure strategy. The report signals to the Federal Council that project funding is insufficient – what is required are binding, multi-year budgets and a central coordination office. This has immediate consequences for universities, research institutes, and SMEs that depend on reliable access to computing resources.

Detailed Summary

The SSC defines computing resources as the totality of all components, services, and personnel required to make academic research in and with AI internationally competitive. The proposed multi-tiered infrastructure should be interoperable and enable seamless transitions between regional, national, and international levels – a model oriented toward international best practices.

The SSC proposes concrete guiding principles: flexibility for adaptive technology development, scalability to manage growing data volumes, efficiency in resource utilization, interoperability between systems, digital sovereignty for independence from foreign platforms, knowledge security, and data lifecycle management. These principles reflect both technological and geopolitical realities of the global research market.

The establishment of an independent, national governing body as an expert commission should be responsible for shaping and further developing the infrastructure based on national needs as well as international developments. The report emphasizes that the Federal Council must equip this commission with appropriate competencies. The goal is to promote synergies between universities, the public sector, and the economy – particularly SMEs – and to position Switzerland in global competition for AI competence.

Key Findings

  • Switzerland needs a national, long-term financed AI infrastructure strategy with a multi-tiered data center system
  • An independent strategic governing body (expert commission) is required as a central governance structure
  • Guiding principles such as digital sovereignty, interoperability, and knowledge security are strategic differentiation features

Critical Questions

  1. Evidence: What concrete data demonstrates that Switzerland is underserved in computing capacity compared to comparable countries (Germany, Austria, Scandinavia)? Were benchmarks conducted?

  2. Data Quality: Is the needs analysis based on interviews with stakeholders – how was representativeness and bias control ensured?

  3. Conflicts of Interest: Which universities and research institutes were involved in the interviews? Is there a risk that established actors overrepresent their funding claims?

  4. Causality: Is inadequate computing infrastructure actually the main obstacle to AI research, or do other factors (skilled labor shortage, regulatory hurdles) play a larger role?

  5. Feasibility: Which budget category (education, research, digital) should bear the long-term financing? Are there estimates for setup and operating costs?

  6. Governance Risk: How is it prevented that a new expert commission leads to coordination delays instead of accelerating them?

  7. Alternatives: Were public-private partnership models or cloud outsourcing scenarios evaluated as alternatives to complete national in-house development?

Sources

Primary Source: Swiss Science Council – Report on Data- and Compute-Intensive Research – https://www.news.admin.ch/de/newnsb/TuWsKZqat-kRc99SWg_nB

Verification Status: ✓ 12.05.2026

This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-checking: 12.05.2026