How Ordnance Survey is bringing together leaders and innovators to explore how location can help tackle real-world challenges

Ordnance Survey (OS) is hosting a two-day event to bring together leaders and innovators from across the public, private and academic sectors to explore how location-based solutions can help tackle national challenges and support Government priorities. The now annual OS Innovation Festival is building on the success of 2025’s inaugural event, double in length this year with more than 250 people expected.

At the heart of the OS Innovation Festival are the innovation sprints: hands-on, collaborative sessions focused on problem-solving using location data. These will explore challenges across a set of high-impact themes, including: Transport, Financial Services, Telecoms, Utilities, Land & Property, Security & Emergency Services, and the National Underground Asset Register (NUAR). Each attendee attends one sprint for the full event, working alongside OS and other participants to explore a specific problem space and develop practical, impact-driven ideas. Alongside the sprints, the programme includes keynote speakers British firefighter, psychologist and writer Sabrina Cohen Hatton and founder of award-winning AI education technology company CENTURY Tech Priya Lakhani OBE.

A wide variety of Government departments and agencies will be participating, including the Cabinet Office, Defra, the Department for Transport, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Met Office as well as Natural England and Crown Estates. The emergency services will also be represented.