Digital twins. DNA large language models. FAIR data at scale. Scientists, clinicians, industry leaders and policy experts will discuss how these and other data science advances are tackling biodiversity, AI and health challenges at the 25th European Conference on Computational Biology (ECCB) taking place in Geneva this summer. Organized by SIB and opened by the President of the Swiss Confederation, the conference is at the heart of #GenevaLovesData – a wider public programme on the essential contribution of life-science data and bioinformatics to society. The events reinforce Switzerland and Geneva as a trusted hub for high-quality data, AI expertise and international collaboration.
Engaging the public through #GenevaLovesData
People from all walks of life can explore how life-science data and bioinformatics support society and the economy, through a month-long open-air exhibition ahead of ECCB and an interactive public event on the conference opening day. Mirroring the conference theme of computational biology for biodiversity, AI and health, the events – and the ECCB opening ceremony – will further highlight Geneva’s unique ecosystem for data-driven research, innovation and policy.
See full #GenevaLovesData programme
Register to public outreach event (French)
ECCB: Europe's leading event for data- and AI-driven life sciences
Now in its 25th edition, ECCB 2026 takes place in Geneva from 31 August to 4 September. Speakers include Jeremy Farrar from the World Health Organization and CNRS silver-medallist Aleksandra Walczak, as well as Swiss President Guy Parmelin who will open the conference. Nearly 600 researchers, industry leaders and policy experts have already registered from globally renowned institutions, including Swiss universities and university hospitals, Imperial College London, Max Planck Institute, Yale University, Seoul National University, Amazon and L'Oréal.
Engaging the public through #GenevaLovesData
People from all walks of life can explore how life-science data and bioinformatics support society and the economy, through a month-long open-air exhibition ahead of ECCB and an interactive public event on the conference opening day. Mirroring the conference theme of computational biology for biodiversity, AI and health, the events – and the ECCB opening ceremony – will further highlight Geneva’s unique ecosystem for data-driven research, innovation and policy.
See full #GenevaLovesData programme
Register to public outreach event (French)
The cross-disciplinary, hands-on programme will showcase innovative tools and methodologies for sharing, visualizing and analysing biological data at scale, and how this drives progress on key societal challenges. Examples include:
- biodiversity protection: digital twin modelling, environmental genomics, and federated data infrastructures to support evidence-based research and policy for species and sustainability;
- personalized health: Large Language Models, advanced ‘omics, and AI modelling of biological systems to uncover disease mechanisms and develop precision therapies;
- epidemic preparedness: pathogen data platforms, microbiome profiling and phylogenetic tracking to better understand host-microbe interactions and enable faster responses to emerging outbreaks.
SIB is organizing ECCB 2026 – and the wider #GenevaLovesData programme – as part of its mission to provide outstanding bioinformatics resources and training, accelerate innovation for health and environmental protection, represent Swiss bioinformatics, and keep Switzerland at the forefront of data expertise and innovation.
The conference is supported by leading industry, government and academic partners, including Roche, the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), and the Swiss Academy of Sciences.
Switzerland and Geneva as a model for trustworthy AI
ECCB 2026 spotlights Swiss strengths for reliable, responsible AI: high-quality data and tools for training and benchmarking, open and federated infrastructure that preserves data sovereignty, scientific excellence, and Geneva's tradition of multilateral collaboration. Along with the upcoming first UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance and the 2027 global AI summit, the conference cements the central role of international Geneva and Switzerland in shaping AI for the global good.
In the age of AI, high-quality scientific data is a strategic resource.
![Peer Bork giving a talk at the [BC]2 Basel Computational Biology Conference](/sites/default/files/styles/card_image/public/2026-01/Peer-Bork_banner.webp?h=602a36b5&itok=KM0WZZWK)
