FutureScape 2026: Smart Hubs for a Connected World

🌐 FutureScape 2026: The Intelligent Earth | October 2026
From Caribbean islands to global megacities, intelligent hubs are redefining growth, governance, and sustainability. FutureScape 2026 explores how data becomes decisions, and how digital systems evolve into human-centred ecosystems across the Blue, Green, Yellow, Circular, and Digital Economies.

⚓ Smart & Sustainable Ports

• Lead with Purpose: Develop repeatable models for smart, sustainable port leadership grounded in long-term ocean stewardship
• Deliver Resilience: Accelerate climate-ready coastal and port infrastructure through integrated clean technologies
• Invest Smartly: Unlock green returns via transparent, outcome-driven investment and public-private collaboration
• Empower with Data: Utilise satellite, sensor, and AI-driven insights to optimise emissions, energy use, and operational performance
• Future-Proof Growth: Build connected, tech-enabled ports that strengthen national blue economies and long-term resilience
  

✈️ Next-Generation International Airports & Aviation Innovation

• Intelligent Aviation Hubs: Transform international airports into fully integrated, data-driven ecosystems connecting cities, trade, and people
• Smart Airside & Landside Operations: Deploy AI, automation, and digital twins to enhance efficiency, safety, and passenger experience
• Sustainable Aviation Infrastructure: Integrate clean energy, sustainable fuels, and net-zero design into airport development
• Resilient Global Connectivity: Strengthen supply chains and mobility through future-ready airport infrastructure
• Innovation at Scale: Position airports as hubs of economic growth, logistics, and technological advancement, shaping the future of aviation
  

🌆 Smart Cities

• Urban Data & AI for City Operations
• Digital Infrastructure & IoT Integration
• AI, Data & Automation in Transportation Hubs
• Sustainable Technology & Net-Zero Strategies
• Ethical Data Governance & Urban Intelligence
• Climate-Resilient Infrastructure & Sustainable Materials
• Skills, Culture & Digital Wellbeing in Connected Communities

🧭 The Bigger Picture
Together with Building Tomorrow, FutureScape 2026 positions the UK and its global partners at the forefront of ethical infrastructure leadership—driving trust, investment, and inclusive, sustainable growth.

👉 From ports to airports, cities to island economies, this is about shaping the next generation of global infrastructure.

🎥 See one of our many successful events on video:

SPEAKERS

1.Nick Lambert
A master mariner and a committed proponent of the maritime users’ perspective, Rear Admiral Nick Lambert concluded a long naval operational career as the UK National Hydrographer in December 2012. A co-founder and director of NLA International, he advises on a wide range of maritime issues including the significant potential of the blue economy concept, the importance of spatial data infrastructures and hydrography for maritime economies, the evolution of eNavigation and GNSS vulnerability, near or real time situational awareness (especially that derived from space-based assets and applications), maritime connectivity and cyber security, human factors, and training and education in the maritime sector. He has a particular interest in the Polar Regions and is also engaged in a variety of situational awareness, fisheries and aquaculture management, marine autonomous systems and vessel efficiency projects. Nick chairs the James Caird Society and the Polar Citizen Science Collective.

Listen to Nick on The Talk Diaries with Tanya Beckett: The Grey Zone of Conflict: How Safe Are Our Waters: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7A8Jcqz1CtZ2gQGLAeUVoz?si=1h6lKQHCQcSUjq_EOBJkaQ

Nick's speech will cover:
Three quarters of all nations (approx. 150 out of 195 nations) have a coastline bordering an ocean or a sea. They all have exclusive economic zones (EEZs) containing blue natural capital and human generated social and economic capital. All those sea spaces are environmentally sensitive, and many are in critical, geo-strategically important chokepoint locations. The availability of satellite derived datasets enables nations to assess the capital and value of their sea spaces, and to derive socio-economic benefit from them.

Hence in the last few decades we have seen a surge of relatively ad hoc offshore infrastructure development including O&G, offshore renewables, aquaculture, tourism, ports and harbours and so forth. These sea spaces have become intensively busy socio-economic hubs, connecting and powering the global economy via subsea telecommunications cables and interconnector power cables, and enabling global logistics via a sophisticated network of shipping routes. The result is a plethora of critical offshore infrastructure, vital to the efficient operation of national, regional and international economies.

This session will explore the value of sea spaces for national blue economies, their development potential and their long-term benefit for national populations. It will focus on the need for effective governance of sea spaces, for comprehensive seabed surveys, maritime domain awareness and day to day management of maritime operations. Specific topics will include the need for: coordinated long-term marine spatial planning, the utility of multifunctional offshore infrastructure, the provision of maritime security for offshore infrastructure and the requirement for cross maritime sector skills and expertise with associated institutional development.

2.Greg Quinn
Greg concluded a distinguished 29-year career with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) in June 2024. His overseas postings included Estonia, Ghana, Belarus, Iraq, Washington DC (State Department secondment), Kazakhstan, and The Bahamas. From 2015–2020, he served as High Commissioner to Guyana and Non-Resident Ambassador to Suriname, followed by senior roles as Consul General in Toronto and Calgary, Political Counsellor in Ottawa, and most recently, Resident British Commissioner to Antigua and Barbuda in early 2024. In London, Greg held key leadership roles including Head of the Caribbean Team, Deputy Head of the Caribbean and SIDS Department, Head of the UN Political Team, and Baltic States Desk Officer. He also led planning for the (postponed) 2024 UK–Africa Summit.

An alumnus of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, with a Master’s in History from the Open University, Greg was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Law from Queen’s University Belfast in 2019 and appointed OBE in the 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to British foreign policy. Beyond government, Greg has extensive experience engaging with the energy, technology, security, infrastructure, defence, and service sectors. Known as a people-focused leader and skilled mediator, he is recognised for turning around underperforming teams and delivering strong trade, economic, cultural, and political outcomes.

Gregs speech will cover:

• Many speak about the Blue Economy as a pathway to transforming island and coastal economies — but what does this truly mean in practice?
• In reality, these are contested spaces. Greg will examine how the Blue Economy is often shaped — and sometimes exploited — by actors whose interests may not align with those of the nation itself.
• Economic exploitation: such as the overuse or unfair control of vital resources like fisheries.
• Political exploitation: where nations are leveraged for broader geopolitical influence or strategic advantage.
• Financial exploitation: through mechanisms such as debt dependency or conditional lending that limits national sovereignty.

3.Matt Huggett
Matt Huggett is the Founder and CEO of Leading Talent, a specialist organisation focused on developing leadership excellence and workforce transformation across complex global supply chains. With a background in international project delivery, Matt has worked extensively across the Caribbean, Africa, and the UK, helping governments, port authorities, and private sector leaders build the capacity needed to accelerate climate-resilient, sustainable infrastructure. Under his leadership, Leading Talent has become a trusted partner in maritime innovation, smart infrastructure, and green transition programmes, aligning skills, technology, and strategy to deliver measurable national impact. Matt’s approach blends talent development with operational insight — ensuring that leadership pipelines and workforce systems directly support decarbonisation, digital transformation, and long-term resilience goals. Passionate about empowering regional talent and fostering public–private collaboration, Matt champions the Caribbean’s position as a global model for smart, sustainable growth in the maritime and logistics sectors.
Matt's speech will cover:

• Lead with Purpose: Build a repeatable model for smart, sustainable port leadership.
• Deliver Resilience: Accelerate climate-ready infrastructure with integrated clean technologies.
• Invest Smartly: Maximise green returns through transparent, outcome-driven investment.
• Empower with Data: Use live insights to drive emissions, energy, and community performance.
• Future-Proof Growth: Create connected, technology-driven ports that secure long-term climate resilience.

4.Simon Parker – Driving Innovation in Technical Education
Simon is an award-winning leader recognised nationally for transforming technical education. One of just 20 recipients of the prestigious Technical Teaching Fellowship from the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, Simon has dedicated his career to advancing excellence in engineering, construction, and digital skills. He has led the design and delivery of higher technical qualifications and T Levels, developed state-of-the-art technical hubs, and built strong partnerships with industry to align education with economic needs.

A passionate advocate for business-education collaboration, Simon urges employers to actively support young talent through mentoring and meaningful workplace pathways—ensuring the UK’s future workforce is equipped for innovation and growth. Known for his visionary leadership, Simon works with policymakers and industry leaders to keep technical education at the heart of the UK’s skills agenda.

Simon' speech will cover:
Future-ready talent: The Blue Economy and Smart Infrastructure need skilled, adaptable people now.

• Closing the gap: Learners must leave education ready to meet real-world industry demands.
• Collaboration works: Co-designed curricula, live projects, and mentoring turn theory into capability.
• Education as a catalyst: Colleges and universities build talent pipelines, connecting learners to emerging technology and industry insight.
• Act together: Employers, educators, and policymakers must join forces to upskill the workforce of tomorrow.

5.Dr Viktoriia Ivannikova
Dr Viktoriia Ivannikova is an Assistant Professor in Aviation Management and Programme Chair for the BSc in Aviation Management at Dublin City University Business School. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society (FRAeS) and serves as an External Examiner for the MSc in Airport Planning and Management at Cranfield University, UK.

Prior to joining DCU, she held a number of senior academic and leadership roles at the National Aviation University of Ukraine, including Associate Professor, Deputy Head of Department, Programme Chair for both BSc and MSc programmes in Air Transportation Management, and Director of English-Medium Education at the Faculty of Airports and the Faculty of Transport Management and Logistics. She was also part of Gleeds Ukraine, a global construction consultancy company, contributing to industry-focused initiatives.

Dr Ivannikova’s work focuses on airport operations optimisation, airport-city development, and the role of digitalisation and innovation in shaping the future of aviation. She is the author and co-author of several aviation books and peer-reviewed publications, and is an active contributor to international conferences and industry forums.

Viktoriia's speech will cover:
Intelligent Aviation Hubs: Transform international airports into fully integrated, data-driven ecosystems connecting cities, trade, and people

• Smart Airside & Landside Operations: Deploy AI, automation, and digital twins to enhance efficiency, safety, and passenger experience
• Sustainable Aviation Infrastructure: Integrate clean energy, sustainable fuels, and net-zero design into airport development
• Resilient Global Connectivity: Strengthen supply chains and mobility through future-ready airport infrastructure
• Innovation at Scale: Position airports as hubs of economic growth, logistics, and technological advancement, shaping the future of aviation
  

6.Nick Crosbie
Details to be confirmed

SPONSORSHIP: Contact [email protected]
Platinum £25,000 (Including Speaking opportunity)
Gold £17,000 (Including Speaking opportunity)
Silver £9,000
Bronze £6,500

🤙🏼Talk to us about the ROI for our existing sponsors from projects worth £6m to $Billions.

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Ideal Sponsorship Partners – FutureScape 2026

FutureScape 2026 brings together global leaders across smart infrastructure, aviation, ports, cities, and digital ecosystems. We are seeking strategic partners aligned with innovation, sustainability, and large-scale delivery.

🏛️Institutional & Policy

UNDP • UN-Habitat • World Bank • Commonwealth Secretariat • CARICOM • UK FCDO

💡Technology & Connectivity

Microsoft • IBM • Cisco • Huawei • Nokia • Elutions • Schneider Electric • Siemens

🌊 Sustainability & Blue-Green

Ørsted • DNV • Lloyd’s Register • Maritime UK • NLA International

💰Finance & ESG

HSBC • Barclays • BlackRock • PwC • Deloitte • Green Climate Fund • UK Infrastructure Bank

🎓Academic

UCL • Cambridge CISL • Caribbean Maritime University • UWI

📰Media

WEF • The Economist Impact • Smart Cities World • Port Technology International

TERMS & CONDITIONS
The organisers have the right to change the date and the venue at any time should circumstances prevail due to reasons out of our control.

Speaker Nick Lambert, NLA International

Speaker Greg Quinn, Owner Aodhan Consultancy

Dr Viktoriia Ivannikova - Speaker

Dublin City University
Programme Chair for B.Sc. in Aviation Management
Assistant Professor in Aviation Management

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