For years, public sector data strategies have focused on scale – more systems connected, more datasets shared, more interoperability achieved. In 2026, contributors argue, that era is ending. As data underpins automation, AI and frontline decision-making, the burden of proof is rising.
“The biggest issue is data quality and integrity,” says Mark Gibbison, AVP global public sector, Unit4. “Public sector organisations hold vast amounts of data in multiple formats stretching back years, but if they want to transform services for the digital era, they must integrate and streamline data.”
That challenge is as much organisational as technical. Gibbison points out that transformation requires difficult choices. “Part of this process is deciding what data is important in archives and making sure it is available for tools such as AI,” he says. “If the organisation does not have the right data available it will impact decision making.”
From interoperable data to actionable insight
For Manish Jethwa, CTO at Ordnance Survey, the conversation is shifting decisively away from data plumbing toward outcomes. “We often refer to geospatial data as the invisible backbone of modern policy,” he says, highlighting its role in climate resilience, infrastructure planning and national defence.
But value now lies in how data is consumed. “Customers don’t want lightbulbs, they want light… customers don’t want data, they want insights,” said Jethwa. He predicts a move toward conversational interaction, where users ask questions of datasets and receive usable answers rather than raw outputs.
That shift is being accelerated by AI, but it also introduces risk, added Jethwa. “With agentic AI, verifying legitimacy and bias becomes harder because agents need broad access to be useful, the threat surface grows.”
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Provenance, trust and public accountability
As data feeds more automated decisions, contributors argue that provenance is becoming non-negotiable. “Trust and provenance in geospatial data are becoming critical in AI-driven systems,” said Jethwa. “AI can join the dots – but it can also join them wrongly.”
This concern is now reaching boards and senior leadership. Chris Harris, EMEA technical director, cybersecurity products at Thales, sees a growing demand for visibility rather than reassurance. “2026 will be the year of visibility as management boards seek greater assurance that security teams know how secure their data is, not just where it is,” he says.
Compliance alone is no longer enough. “Cyberattacks are an inevitability,” said Harris. “The most advanced organisations have accepted this and are building their abilities to detect and stop attacks quickly.”
Data as a shared asset, not a competitive one
Gibbison notes that organisations are keen to learn from one another but lack formal mechanisms to do so.
Jethwa goes further, calling for a sector-wide mindset shift, noting: “We don’t need different versions of reality; we need a consistent source of truth.”
