The National Cancer Registry Ireland (NCRI) has announced a new partnership with Aridhia to deliver a secure data environment (SDE) that will support advanced cancer research while maintaining the highest standards of data protection and privacy.

This initiative represents a significant step forward in how sensitive health data is accessed and used for research in Ireland. The SDE will provide approved researchers with access to anonymised or pseudonymised cancer data within a secure, controlled digital setting - enabling deeper analysis without compromising confidentiality.

Welcoming the collaboration, Theresa Redaniel, Head of Research and Analysis at NCRI, said:

“We’re looking forward to working in partnership with Aridhia and to the opportunities this will bring for cancer research in Ireland. The NCRI secure data environment will enable authorised researchers to analyse sensitive cancer data in a fully controlled and auditable way, without compromising privacy. It will strengthen data protection, streamline access, and support more impactful research while aligning with key national and European health data strategies.”

A Secure and Controlled Research Environment

Secure Data Environments are purpose-built digital platforms designed to store, access and analyse sensitive data under strict governance. Within the NCRI SDE, authorised users will be able to work with data without the ability to copy, download or transfer it externally - significantly reducing the risk of data breaches.

The environment will incorporate robust governance, auditing and security controls, ensuring that all data use is transparent, monitored and compliant with regulatory requirements. This approach enhances NCRI’s ability to support high-quality research while maintaining public trust in how cancer data is handled.

Enabling Deeper Research While Protecting Privacy

The SDE will allow researchers to carry out detailed analyses that are not suitable for open publication due to the sensitivity of the data involved. By providing secure access to rich datasets, the platform will help accelerate insights into cancer patterns, outcomes and treatments - supporting more informed decision-making across healthcare and policy.

Importantly, the SDE complements NCRI’s existing approach to open data:

• Open data will continue to provide transparency and broad public access to key cancer statistics.
• The SDE offers a secure route for more detailed analytical research where greater data protection is required.

Together, these approaches ensure that cancer data is shared in a way that balances public value with privacy, making it available in a manner proportionate to risk.

Supporting Transparent and Reproducible Research

The NCRI SDE will follow FAIR data principles - ensuring that data is Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable. This will improve how researchers discover and use data, with enhanced metadata, cataloguing, and documentation supporting greater transparency and reproducibility.

The platform will also strengthen data tracking and provenance, ensuring that research outputs can be clearly linked back to their source data and methodologies. Consistent governance rules will further support responsible data use across all projects.

Aligning with National and European Strategies

The development of the SDE aligns with wider national and European efforts to enable secure, responsible use of health data for research and innovation. By adopting this model, NCRI is positioning Ireland at the forefront of best practice in health data governance.

The partnership with Aridhia will bring advanced technology and expertise to the initiative, supporting a modern, scalable infrastructure for secure research collaboration.

Further details on the partnership are available on the Aridhia website:
👉 National Cancer Registry Ireland and Aridhia announce partnership to deliver a secure data environment

Strengthening Research for Better Outcomes

By making high-quality cancer data securely accessible to approved researchers, the NCRI SDE will help unlock new opportunities for discovery and innovation. Ultimately, this will support more impactful research, improved understanding of cancer, and better outcomes for patients across Ireland.