The LCRIG Innovation & Learning Festival 2026 brought the highways community together at NAEC Stoneleigh for two days of innovation, collaboration, learning and connection.

For local authorities, government, industry and academia alike, the Festival provided a platform to share knowledge, discover new technologies and explore practical solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing the sector.

The Festival welcomed representatives from 106 local authorities, including 91 English authorities, alongside colleagues from the Department for Transport, National Highways, Transport Scotland and the Welsh Government. More than 100 exhibitors and 67 speakers also contributed to the two-day event.

Innovation remained at the heart of the Festival, with indoor and outdoor exhibition areas showcasing the latest products and technologies, alongside live demonstrations, emerging businesses and new innovations.

CPD-certified technical learning sessions gave delegates the opportunity to explore emerging technologies and practical approaches to challenges facing the sector, while the TTF Innovation & Learning Tent provided another interactive space for knowledge sharing.

New for 2026 was the first LCRIG Hackathon Sprint, which brought local authority officers, suppliers and industry experts together to develop practical solutions focused on creating more climate-ready and resilient road networks.

Feedback following the Festival was overwhelmingly positive, with an average overall satisfaction rating of 4.5 out of 5.

An incredible 96% of delegates said they would recommend the Festival to colleagues, while 97% said they were likely to attend future events.

When asked to describe the Festival in three words, delegates used words including informative, innovative, collaborative, inspiring and engaging. And, perhaps unsurprisingly given that the Festival took place on the hottest day of the year, “hot” also featured prominently!

Click HERE for the full report.

(Picture: LCRIG)