SeRP, the Secure eResearch Platform based within Swansea University, has been recognised in a new independent report as an important technology provider supporting the UK’s future health data research infrastructure.
The Health Data Research Service (HDRS) Digital Ecosystem Analysis examines the technologies needed to create a more connected national health data ecosystem. Throughout the report, SeRP is highlighted for its engineering capability, Trusted Research Environment (TRE)/Secure Data Environment (SDE) expertise and readiness to support the next generation of secure health data services.
As the UK develops the proposed Health Data Research Service, the report identifies secure digital platforms as fundamental to enabling researchers to access sensitive health data safely while maintaining robust governance and public trust.
‘SeRP provides the technical infrastructure that can be deployed across multiple TREs, with a full-service offering that includes management of physical infrastructure, pipeline engineering, and TRE management.’
A key challenge identified is the shortage of specialist technical expertise across the NHS and academic sectors. The report singles out SeRP’s dedicated team of research technical professionals of around 60 specialists as an exception, noting that most comparable organisations operate with significantly smaller capacity. This capability enables SeRP to develop, operate and continuously improve secure research platforms capable of supporting complex research programmes.
‘[SeRP] infrastructure provides both physical and logical separation of data for different user groups’
The report also highlights the increasing importance of TREs and SDEs, which allow approved researchers to analyse sensitive data within secure computing environments rather than moving data between organisations. Among the examples cited are self-hosted TREs delivered by SeRP’s platform team, demonstrating the maturity and flexibility of its technology.
‘Dementias Platform UK (DPUK) is built on top of SeRP infrastructure providing global access to over 100 multimodal data assets on 3.5 million individuals and supporting 36 ongoing studies and over 50 academic papers per year.’
While its origins lie in supporting UK health research during the creation of Wales’ national data infrastructure platform, the SAIL Databank, SeRP has evolved into an internationally deployed technology platform. Today, its secure research environment underpins research infrastructure used by organisations in Australia and Canada, demonstrating the platform’s ability to meet the governance, security and operational requirements of multiple jurisdictions.
This international adoption reflects growing global demand for trusted digital infrastructure that enables researchers to work collaboratively while ensuring sensitive data remains protected. Rather than moving data across borders, SeRP enables secure access within controlled environments, supporting both national governance requirements and international research partnerships.
Commenting on the report, Professor Simon Thompson, Director of SAIL Databank & SeRP, said, “This report is a welcome, independent validation of two decades of work at SAIL & SeRP. Seeing our data pipelines, linkage methods and secure infrastructure recognised as a benchmark for the UK reflects the dedication of our staff, partners and public contributors. It’s encouraging to read that the technologies needed for a more joined-up national health data ecosystem already exist, rather than needing to be built from scratch. Our work linking Welsh population data across health, education, housing, justice and beyond shows what’s possible when secure, person-level linkage is done properly and at scale. SAIL & SeRP will continue to support researchers nationally, and internationally, enabling world-class research while protecting public trust.”
The report suggests that platforms such as SeRP will play an increasingly important role as health data services become more integrated and research programmes become more collaborative. Delivering these ambitions will require scalable technology, experienced engineering teams and proven operational models.
‘Fabric technologies are becoming more widespread, with SeRP evolving toward fabric architecture.’
Looking further ahead, the report identifies cloud-native infrastructure and future data fabrics as key components of a more integrated UK health data ecosystem. It notes that SeRP is already deployed on technologies compatible with these emerging architectures, positioning the platform to support increasingly connected models of secure research across organisational boundaries.
For SeRP, the findings provide independent recognition that these capabilities are already being delivered today. As governments and research organisations continue investing in secure health data infrastructure, the platform is well positioned to support both the UK’s evolving research ecosystem and a growing international community seeking trusted, secure access to health data.