Eastern Switzerland is setting up a joint AI administration

Seven ORK cantons, Zurich and Liechtenstein intend to jointly develop, procure and standardise AI for use in public administration. This is increasing the pressure to ensure that digital processes for planning applications, property management and other procedures are compatible across cantons.

The Eastern Swiss administration no longer wishes to test artificial intelligence on a cantonal basis, but rather to develop it jointly. Seven cantons belonging to the Eastern Swiss Intercantonal Conference, along with Zurich and Liechtenstein, have signed an agreement to this effect. This move is particularly relevant to the property and construction sectors because many procedures are held up at the interfaces between local authorities, cantons, specialist departments and applicants.

According to available information, the cooperation is intended to facilitate joint AI projects, joint procurement and common standards. The aim is to make administrative processes and public services more efficient and less prone to errors. For planners, owners and developers, this is not just an abstract digital issue. Where building applications, review procedures, data collection or information provision are standardised digitally, the workload involved in recurring processes across cantonal borders is reduced.

From pilot to structure
The agreement was prompted by a preliminary analysis of the use of AI in public administration. This analysis was carried out from spring 2025 onwards in several cantons in eastern Switzerland as well as in Liechtenstein, and revealed broad potential for concrete applications. The new agreement thus shifts the focus from assessment to organisational implementation.

This step is particularly relevant for procedures relating to property. In practice, differing processes, inconsistent data requirements and separate technical systems often act as bottlenecks today. If the administrations involved develop standards jointly, this could have a positive impact in the medium term on case files, preliminary assessments, statements or the preparation of documentation. It remains to be seen which applications will be scaled up first. However, the direction is clear: fewer siloed solutions, more shared infrastructure.

Zurich provides a concrete example
Zurich is already demonstrating how quickly the benefits can become apparent through the use of AI applications relating to planning permission. There, the technology is being trialled with the aim of improving applications and making processes more efficient, without shifting the decision-making responsibility away from the authorities. This sends an important signal for the Eastern Switzerland cooperation. As soon as practical tools and rules can be transferred, inter-cantonal cooperation will gain real substance.

For the property sector, the value of the agreement therefore lies less in the technology itself than in its administrative impact. If standards, procurement and expertise are organised jointly, the chances of faster, more consistent and more scalable procedures will increase. Whether this actually results in streamlined processes for construction, planning and management will become clear once the first concrete applications are implemented.