Innovate Cambridge Summit 2026

The Innovate Cambridge Summit 2026 brought together more than 600 leaders from across research, industry, investment, government and the wider innovation ecosystem to explore the next phase of innovation-led growth for Cambridge and the UK.

Taking place at the Guildhall, Cambridge on 21 October 2026, the event provided an update on progress across the Innovate Cambridge initiative while setting out future ambitions for one of the world’s leading innovation ecosystems.

The Summit has become a platform for announcements from government, industry and academia, as well as a forum for shaping progress and future direction – exploring what good growth looks like in practice and showcasing how Cambridge technologies will drive the UK economy and change the world.

We provided an update on progress and delivery, examined the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of the UK innovation economy, from scaling breakthrough companies and attracting investment to building stronger partnerships between cities, regions and institutions.

2026 themes:

• Cambridge’s role in powering UK growth: Why Cambridge is so well placed to take global innovation leadership in quantum
• Scaling innovation through city partnerships: Why Cambridge and Manchester are proving that growth is a positive-sum game
• Should I stay or should I go: What will it take for the UK to win the next generation of global companies?
• Start. Scale. Stay: Lessons from the companies building global success from Cambridge
• Prosperity with purpose: Building a Cambridge that works for everyone

Agenda:
To view the agenda, please click here or visit the Agenda tab at the top of this page.

Speakers:
To view a list of confirmed speakers, please click here or visit the Speakers tab at the top of this page.