GDI General Assembly: ELIXIR Italy’s Contribution to the Genomic Data Infrastructure in Dublin

On 7-8 October 2026, Dublin hosted the General Assembly of the Genomic Data Infrastructure (GDI), a European project dedicated to developing a secure, sustainable and federated infrastructure for accessing genomic, phenotypic and clinical data across Europe.

GDI aims to turn the vision of the 1+Million Genomes (1+MG) Initiative into reality. Drawing on the results of the Beyond 1 Million Genomes (B1MG) project, it seeks to establish a secure European infrastructure that enables access to and analysis of genomic data across national borders, while allowing data to remain within their respective national nodes.

CNR and ELIXIR Italy play an active role in two key areas of the project: Pillar I – Governance and Legal Compliance, which addresses the governance, legal and ethical frameworks for genomic data access and use; and Pillar II, which focuses on designing and implementing the technical architecture needed to support the federated infrastructure.

During the Assembly, Dr Giacinto Donvito, Infrastructure Manager and Deputy Head of Node of ELIXIR Italy, presented an update on the implementation of the Italian node’s infrastructure, outlining ongoing activities, progress achieved and Italy’s contribution to the development of the European federated architecture.

The Italian delegation included Prof. Graziano Pesole, Head of Node of ELIXIR Italy; Dr Giacinto Donvito, Infrastructure Manager and Deputy Head of Node; and Dr Nadina Foggetti, ELSI Officer.

Participation in the General Assembly highlighted the contribution of ELIXIR Italy and CNR to the development of a shared European infrastructure for genomic data. Their involvement brings together expertise in governance, legal and ethical matters, regulatory compliance and technical infrastructure design, supporting a coordinated approach to the challenges of genomic data sharing.

GDI represents a significant step towards a European genomic data ecosystem built on federation, security, interoperability and trust. By combining technological innovation with robust governance and common standards, the project aims to facilitate responsible data access and use while safeguarding individual rights and advancing genomic research across Europe.