Platinum Sponsor: 
Where innovation, talent and ideas shape the future of media
Future Tech Ignite is the home of start-ups, emerging talent, future skills and entrepreneurial thinking at IBC2026.
Delivered with EIT Culture & Creativity as Innovation Partner, Future Tech Ignite brings together students, creators, technologists, start-ups, investors, educators and industry leaders to explore how new ideas can become real opportunities for the media and entertainment industry.
This partnership matters because the future of M&E will not be shaped by technology alone. It will depend on stronger links between creativity, business, education, research and entrepreneurship — helping new talent, new companies and new ideas move from potential to practical impact.
Across the four days of the show, the Future Tech Ignite Stage will host talks, panels, showcases and pitch sessions covering the major forces changing the industry, including artificial intelligence, the creator economy, sustainability, cybersecurity, entrepreneurship, education and future skills.
Innovation Partner:
EIT Culture & Creativity
EIT Culture & Creativity supports innovation, entrepreneurship and creative talent across Europe’s cultural and creative sectors. As Innovation Partner for Future Tech Ignite, it will help connect the IBC community with the people, ideas and companies driving new approaches to creative and media innovation.
At IBC2026, EIT Culture & Creativity will host sessions on education, entrepreneurship and business development, alongside pitch sessions from start-up companies working at the frontier of innovation.
Start-ups and entrepreneurship
Future Tech Ignite gives start-ups and early-stage companies a dedicated platform to showcase new thinking, connect with the global IBC community and demonstrate how emerging technologies are moving from concept to commercial opportunity.
Through pitch sessions, business development content and access to investors, partners and industry leaders, Ignite will support the companies and founders building what comes next for media and entertainment.
Themes on the Ignite Stage
The Future Tech Ignite Stage will bring together voices from across the industry to explore the technologies, communities and challenges shaping media and entertainment.
Themes include artificial intelligence, the creator economy, sustainability, cybersecurity, entrepreneurship, education, future skills, mentorship, allyship, start-up innovation and investment.
Student programming at IBC2026
Students and emerging talent will have a dedicated focus within the Future Tech Ignite programme. Monday’s Ignite Stage agenda will include insight from IBC’s owner associations, an On-Air showcase exploring industry and education collaboration, a student short-form content showcase, and a next-gen leaders panel giving students a voice in the industry conversation. At Future Tech Ignite, students can experience the media and entertainment industry up close, connect with professionals and peers, and take part in conversations about the tech, skills and ideas shaping what comes next.
Talent, skills and education
Tech Ignite will host sessions on education, career pathways, mentorship, allyship and the role of industry collaboration in supporting the next generation of M&E talent. The IBC Talent Programme will open the show on Friday with sessions focused on education, skills and career development. This will include new research from IBC and Women in Streaming Media, in partnership with IAMT, SMPTE, Rise Academy and the Global Media & Entertainment Talent Manifesto, looking at the career journeys of today’s media professionals and how young people can build more effective pathways into the industry.
2026 Future Tech Ignite Agenda
Ignite Stage
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Ignite StageAward-winning conference host and emcee Oisin Lunny will welcome attendees to the IBC Talent Program ...
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Ignite StageWith a trove of exclusive new data from around the world, Evan Shapīro, Media’s Cartographer, reveal ...
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Ignite StageRecent research from IAMT seeks to better understand the current landscape for media and entertainme ...
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Ignite StageStrengthening the relationship between the industry and the education sector is seen as ‘mission cri ...ModeratorPanellist
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Ignite StageHow can Europe help emerging talent turn bold ideas into media experiences people actually want to w ...
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Ignite StageSome of the most important issues facing the industry extend beyond technology and business strategy ...
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Ignite StageEveryone’s using AI now. To write, to edit, to speed things up, to “generate ideas”. But let’s be ho ...
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Ignite StageMeet the technology and business innovators shaping the future of our industry. This session will fe ...
Ignite Stage
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Ignite Stage
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Ignite StageMedia Cartographer Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet, founder of Streaming Made Easy, return to the Ig ...
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Ignite StageRecent incidents and TPN STAR Report findings suggest many companies wouldn't be. Join TPN, ACE, NBC ...Panellist
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Ignite StageAI is moving deeper into the foundations of media and entertainment, changing how content is created ...
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Ignite StageAWS Start-up session
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Ignite StageMeet the technology and business innovators shaping the future of our industry. This session will fe ...
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Ignite StageEurope produces world-class creativity, research and media innovation, yet too few European companie ...
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Ignite StageEurope has the talent. Why isn't it winning? Drawing on new independent research from Ampere Analysi ...
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Ignite StageSecuring funding is only the beginning. Turning an innovative idea into a successful media business ...
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Ignite StageMeet the technology and business innovators shaping the future of our industry. This session will fe ...
Ignite Stage
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Ignite Stage
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Ignite StageEurope's next generation of media innovators takes the stage. In this fast-paced showcase, EIT Cultu ...
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Ignite StageThis session, led by Caretta Research, will explore the new media landscape driven by the creator an ...
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Ignite StageLast year, Women in Industries of Tomorrow challenged audiences to "Persevere and Get Sh*t Done", a ...
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Ignite StageRapidly changing technology – such as the explosion of Gen AI, hybrid workflows, and immersive enter ...Moderator
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Ignite StageAllyship in media and entertainment can unlock potential by improving access, visibility, and develo ...
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Ignite StageMeaningful professional connections can open doors to new opportunities, ideas and collaborations. Y ...
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Ignite StageMeet the technology and business innovators shaping the future of our industry. This session will fe ...
Ignite Stage
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Ignite Stage
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Ignite StageMeet the technology and business innovators shaping the future of our industry. This session will fe ...
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Ignite StageWhile many courses provide an excellent educational foundation for work in the media industry, grabb ...Panellist
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Ignite StageThis two-part session will showcase the skills of the next generation. Part 1 will be led by represe ...Moderator
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Ignite StageTo close the Ignite Stage programme, we hand the forum of discussion over to the young people who wi ...Panellist
Who is Future Tech Ignite for?
Future Tech Ignite is designed for anyone interested in where the media and entertainment industry is heading next, including start-ups, students, creators, investors, educators, skills organisations, media technology companies, industry associations and business leaders exploring future opportunities.
Join Future Tech Ignite at IBC2026
Future Tech Ignite is where new ideas meet practical opportunity.
Join the start-ups, students, creators, technologists, educators, investors and industry leaders shaping the future of media and entertainment at IBC2026.
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