IBC Future Tech Ignite | IBC2026 Show 11-14 Sep 2026

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.

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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.

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Explore Future Tech Ignite

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.

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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.

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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.

Register for IBC2026