On 1 June 2026, Genomic Medicine Sweden (GMS) and the Hartwig Medical Foundation (Hartwig) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate precision oncology for cancer patients in Sweden, the Netherlands, and beyond.
The agreement establishes a strategic partnership to advance the implementation of whole genome sequencing (WGS) in routine clinical care and to speed up the translation of genomic insights into tangible patient benefits. It also enables the secure and efficient secondary use of genomic and clinical data across national borders.
This partnership marks an important step towards making precision oncology a standard and equitable part of cancer care. By aligning our efforts with Hartwig, we can more rapidly translate genomic knowledge into improved patient outcomes in Sweden and internationally, says Richard Rosenquist Brandell, Director of Genomic Medicine Sweden.
The collaboration brings together two of Europe’s leading national initiatives in genomic medicine. By combining Sweden’s established infrastructure for genomic diagnostics with Hartwig’s expertise in sequencing, bioinformatics, and data platforms, the partners aim to give patients faster and more equitable access to high-quality diagnostics while advancing research that benefits patients worldwide.
By standardizing, harmonizing, and enabling federated analysis of cancer genomics data, we can learn from far more patients than any single initiative could alone—and translate these insights into clinical benefit more quickly,” says Edwin Cuppen, Scientific Director of Hartwig Medical Foundation.
Direct benefits for patients
The MoU defines four priority areas with clear clinical impact. GMS and Hartwig will:
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Advance WGS as a standard diagnostic tool for adult patients with acute leukemia
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Validate and implement the OncoAnalyser tool (based on Hartwig’s WiGiTS platform) for hematological malignancies
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Evaluate and progressively introduce WGS for selected solid tumors
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Harmonize data models for genomic and associated clinical data
Together, these efforts aim to shorten the time from sequencing to actionable results, improve the quality and comparability of diagnostic reports, and enable knowledge sharing across healthcare systems.
Enabling secondary use of data
A key ambition of the partnership is to unlock greater value from genomic and clinical data generated in routine care. Through standardized and harmonized data models, the collaboration will support research, quality assurance, and the development of new diagnostics and treatments.
In the longer term, the partners aim to enable federated analyses, allowing researchers and clinicians to analyze data across countries without transferring sensitive information. This approach strengthens data privacy and compliance with national regulations, while increasing dataset value, statistical power, and clinical insight.
About Hartwig Medical Foundation
Hartwig Medical Foundation is a Dutch, independent, non-profit organization dedicated to improving cancer diagnosis and treatment through large-scale genomics and data-driven precision medicine. The organization was founded in 2015 by oncologist Emile Voest and entrepreneur Rob Defares.
Related link
Hartwig Medical Foundation: https://hartwigmedicalfoundation.nl/en