The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is leading efforts to protect communities from infectious diseases and public health emergencies. At the core of this immense task lies its innovative use of high-performance computing (HPC) and cutting-edge technologies, including Kubernetes and OpenShift. Francesco Giannoccaro, Head of High Performance Computing at the UKHSA, recently shared insights into how these technological tools help manage the organization’s complex and critical workload.

Simplifying Complexity in Public Health Computing

UKHSA’s work spans across the United Kingdom and collaborates with global institutions to address public health crises. As Giannoccaro explained at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon EU 2026, the agency has evolved its technological capabilities dramatically since 2017. Initially focusing on simplifying cloud-native applications for scientists, it provided platforms that enabled experimentation without compromising on security or scientific integrity.

By 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency transferred many of its workloads to Microsoft Azure. This move enhanced resilience and scalability, allowing the agency to handle the surging demands of pathogen genomics and outbreak modeling. Over the years, as technologies matured, UKHSA adopted AI and machine learning solutions, supported by hardware such as NVIDIA GPUs, to analyze massive datasets efficiently.

The Role of Kubernetes and OpenShift

Kubernetes: Empowering Scientists

Kubernetes has been a critical component in managing UKHSA’s data and computing requirements. One of the major challenges was tailoring platforms for scientists, many of whom lack software engineering backgrounds. Traditional HPC environments, often reliant on command-line interfaces, were too complex for broad usability.

Kubernetes helped simplify these operations, making it easier to scale and distribute workloads. Whether the computations were data-intensive or purely processing-heavy, Kubernetes provided a cohesive solution. Features like autoscaling and containerized workloads allowed scientists to focus on their research without becoming bogged down by technical details.

OpenShift: Enhancing Security and Consistency

OpenShift, in particular, played a pivotal role in building trust among researchers handling sensitive data. With its pre-scanned and patched container images, OpenShift ensured security and compliance from day one. This was essential for UKHSA, where patient data security is non-negotiable. More recently, UKHSA has explored advanced encryption techniques, including encryption-in-use, to further enhance data protection.

The agency’s hybrid multi-cloud approach also benefited from OpenShift’s consistency across on-premises and cloud environments. Such flexibility enabled seamless scaling, imperative for handling the fluctuating demands typical of public health emergencies.

Bridging AI and Public Health Science

Advances in AI and machine learning have added a new dimension to UKHSA’s capabilities. Giannoccaro emphasized the importance of making these models accessible and trustworthy for scientists. By integrating trusted AI models and continuously updating their container image library, UKHSA is setting a benchmark for public health applications of AI.

In the future, the agency aims to develop a curated catalog of open AI models, providing a standardized, reliable base for epidemiologists and bioinformaticians. Such efforts could revolutionize the speed and accuracy of health-related discoveries, making critical impacts during outbreaks and pandemics.

Overcoming Organizational Challenges

Merging Diverse Infrastructure

UKHSA was formed through the merger of three entities: Public Health England, the Joint Biosecurity Centre, and NHS Test and Trace. Each organization brought its own technological infrastructure—ranging from long-established on-premises systems to cloud-native solutions developed during the pandemic. Unifying these disparate systems required a flexible platform capable of bridging on-site hardware with cloud resources.

OpenShift’s ability to harmonize these environments proved invaluable. By standardizing operations across its sprawling landscape, UKHSA minimized complexity while enhancing its scientists’ ability to collaborate and innovate.

Handling Massive Data Volumes

The scale of data UKHSA deals with is immense, particularly in genomics. Some laboratory equipment generates terabytes of data per day. Managing such volumes traditionally necessitated high-performance computing environments with steep learning curves.

Kubernetes and OpenShift simplified this challenge. The platforms provided user-friendly workflows and automated deployment pipelines, allowing scientists to analyze large datasets more efficiently. This balance between usability and technological depth has been key to the agency’s success.

Practical Takeaways

1. Hybrid Multi-Cloud Efficiency: UKHSA’s use of OpenShift across hybrid cloud environments demonstrates how organizations can maintain flexibility while ensuring consistency.
2. Security First: With sensitive public health data at stake, encryption and trusted container libraries are non-negotiable.
3. AI Integration: Establishing trusted AI workflows empowers researchers to deploy models confidently, advancing critical public health research.
4. Simplifying HPC: Tailoring HPC environments for scientists without software engineering skills improves productivity and collaboration.

Lessons for Other Public Health Agencies

Giannoccaro underscored that public health leaders looking to adopt cloud-native solutions should start by engaging with expert communities and identifying mature, reliable technologies. He highlighted the importance of balancing innovation with proven tools, avoiding the pitfalls of adopting bleeding-edge technologies that lack adequate support.

For agencies hesitant to transition sensitive data to the cloud, Giannoccaro offered reassurance: building secure, reliable environments is easier today than ever before due to advancements in encryption and compliance standards. Conferences like KubeCon provide excellent opportunities to learn from peers tackling similar challenges.

Looking Ahead to 2027

By next year’s KubeCon conference in Barcelona, Giannoccaro hopes the UKHSA will have achieved full maturity in its AI application workflows. The ability to offer cataloged, trusted AI models could significantly enhance researchers’ capacity to develop novel public health solutions.

The UK Health Security Agency’s work illustrates the potential of Kubernetes and OpenShift to transform public health computing. As other organizations follow its example, the use of cloud-native technologies promises to play an increasingly vital role in addressing global health challenges.