The Swiss Data Science Center inaugurates its headquarters at Biopôle in Lausanne

The Swiss Data Science Center (SDSC) officially inaugurated its new headquarters at the Biopôle campus in Lausanne on 12 March 2026. The opening marks a significant milestone for Switzerland’s national research infrastructure in data science and AI: for the first time since its founding in 2017, the SDSC has an independent home outside its partner institutions, EPFL, ETH Zurich, and the Paul Scherrer Institute.

The new site houses workspace, training facilities, and thematic meeting spaces, bringing the SDSC’s approximately 120 specialists closer to the companies, hospitals, universities, and public administrations they serve. The inauguration was attended by EPFL President Anna Fontcuberta i Morral, canton of Vaud State Councillor Isabelle Moret, and Biopôle Director General Nasri Nahas, alongside SDSC Executive Director Olivier Verscheure.

The move is underpinned by a CHF 7.5 million commitment from the canton of Vaud over the 2024–2028 period, channeled through the cantonal Innovation Support Fund. An additional CHF 1.5 million per year over 2025–2028 funds annual calls for collaborative projects in life sciences, energy, sustainability, and digital transformation, involving local research institutions, SMEs, and startups.

Founded as a joint initiative of EPFL and ETH Zurich, the SDSC supports academic laboratories, hospitals, businesses, and public administrations across the full data pipeline, from collection and management to machine learning applications. Its integration into Biopôle, one of Europe’s largest life sciences campuses, positions the canton of Vaud as a reference hub for data-driven innovation and applied AI in Western Switzerland.