OS Innovation Festival 2026

The OS Innovation Festival 2026 serves as a premier gathering for leaders, innovators, and visionaries across the public, private, and academic sectors. Hosted at the Ordnance Survey headquarters, this two-day immersive experience is dedicated to exploring how high-fidelity location data and mapping solutions can address complex, real-world challenges. By bringing together diverse perspectives, the event fosters an environment where attendees can transform abstract concepts into practical, impact-driven applications that support national priorities and government agendas.

The Innovation Sprints

At the core of the festival are the signature "Innovation Sprints." These intensive, hands-on collaborative sessions provide a unique opportunity for participants to deep-dive into specific problem spaces. Guided by experts, attendees work alongside peers to develop solutions across critical high-impact themes, including transport logistics, financial services, telecommunications, utilities management, land and property development, security, and emergency services. These sprints are designed to move beyond traditional networking, forcing participants to get hands-on with data to create tangible results.

Expert Insights and Thought Leadership

The programme features an exceptional lineup of keynote speakers and industry leaders. Renowned figures, such as British firefighter and author Sabrina Cohen Hatton and CENTURY Tech founder Priya Lakhani OBE, headline the event to share their unique expertise. The festival also hosts critical panel discussions on governance, interoperability, and the strategic synergy between start-ups and large-scale enterprises. Whether unpacking the technical standards of data security or exploring the future of collaborative innovation, the sessions provide actionable insights for every professional in the location intelligence space.

Engaging Features: The Map Musings Tent

New for 2026, the "Map Musings" tent offers a creative space to explore the cultural and social impact of mapping. Featuring guests such as "The Map Men," this area is dedicated to inspiring talks that show how maps spark adventure, ignite creativity, and help us make sense of our world. This lighter, yet deeply thought-provoking addition complements the technical rigor of the event, ensuring that every attendee leaves with both a new technical toolkit and a renewed appreciation for the power of location.

A Collaborative Future

By grounding all discussions and workshops in Ordnance Survey’s trusted, national-scale data, the festival creates a unique bridge between policy, technology, and implementation. Representatives from the Cabinet Office, the Department for Transport, and various environmental and emergency agencies ensure that the solutions developed are grounded in real-world necessity. The festival is not merely a conference; it is a catalyst for innovation that makes a measurable difference for communities, businesses, and government sectors across the United Kingdom.