Press release

Swiss Statistics Days 2023 Swiss Statistics Meeting 2023 - without data, no statistics, no research, no business!

21.08.2023 - The Swiss Statistics Days (SSD) will be held from 30 August to 1 September at the University of Basel. This year, the focus will be on data. Data are necessary for statistics but they are also essential to society, science and the economy. They must, therefore, be reliable and able to be used sustainably. New data sources and modern analysis methods enabling the potential of data to be fully exploited will be at the centre of debates at this 2023 edition.

New data sources regularly enhance the statistician's day-to-day work, responding to the needs of society. This is the case, for example, in the fields of the economy (early estimates of the economic situation based on satellite data), equality (gender and disability) or in various democratic processes, such as elections. Technological developments and artificial intelligence (AI) are making it possible to exploit the full potential of data, in particular by using new analysis methods.

Transparency and trust

Recent developments in this field mean that data have to be reusable - this is only possible through interoperability. Today it is essential to have not only coordinated data management but also well-structured and efficient surveys, amongst other things, to avoid placing an unnecessary burden on stakeholders.

Against this backdrop, access to data raises fundamental questions on data ethics, protection and security. To maintain the public's trust in the government, science and the economy, data must be handled in a transparent manner. Modern methods have an important role to play in exploiting data's full potential. These topics will be at the heart of the Swiss Statistics Days.

Eighteen workshops on current topics

Over three days, participants will be able to take part in 3 mini-courses and 18 workshops on topics such as artificial intelligence, Open Government Data or data literacy. A number of speakers will take turns to discuss the latest developments in data management and use. The programme will also include several keynote addresses by guest speakers who are experts in their field.

The event will start on Wednesday 30 August with the opening speech by Beat Jans, President of the Government of the Canton of Basel-Stadt. Nadja Braun Binder, President of the Federal Statistics Committee, will present the latest legal developments in the field of Open Government Data and outline the overall legal framework for the use of data.

The presentations will continue on Thursday 31 August with a speech by Georges-Simon Ulrich, Director-General of the FSO. With the emergence of new data spaces and increasing pressure from research to access data, he will ask how official statistics can produce and use data in a democratic and legitimate manner.

Data literacy

Also on the agenda for Thursday 31August, Katharina Schüller will be talking about data literacy. A pioneer in the fields of data literacy and data ethics, she has been running a consultancy specialising in data strategies for almost 20 years. Katharina Schüller will talk about the loss of trust in politics, government and the media that can result from the daily torrent of data to which we are all exposed. In this context, she will emphasise the importance of data competency.

Finally, on Friday 1 September, the audience will have the opportunity to hear Klaus Moosmayer, Chief Ethics, Risk and Compliance Officer and member of the Executive Committee at Novartis. He will talk about how artificial intelligence is used within his company to help improve patient access, drug discovery and automation, among other things. He will also share the processes Novartis has established to guarantee the ethical and responsible use of AI.

Lastly, Thomas Bernhard, Head of Athletic Performance at FC Basel 1893, will explain how to encourage the next generation of players by improving their performance and avoiding injury through data-based training management.

The full programme can be found online at: Swiss Statistics Days - Welcome (statistiktage.ch)

Presence of media welcome

The Swiss Statistics Days is a unique opportunity to meet data and statistics specialists. The FSO is therefore keen to encourage the media to take part in this event. If you are interested, please contact the FSO Media Service. We look forward to your visit.

The Swiss Statistics Days 2023 are organised by the statistical office of the canton of Basel-Stadt, the Swiss Statistical Society (SSS), the Swiss Conference of regional statistical offices (CORSTAT) and the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

You can find further information in the following PDF document.