Think Data for Government 2026: 10 key takeaways

Talk of AI has dominated the public sector over the past year, with attention now turning to improving data quality, making information easier to share, building common standards and giving frontline teams better access to trusted information.

Here are ten themes that emerged from Think Data for Government 2026 in Westminster this week.

1. AI has made data foundations more important, not less

Almost every discussion pointed to the fact that organisations cannot become AI-ready without first becoming data-ready.

Rather than presenting AI as a shortcut around legacy systems, data leaders maintained that it’s exposing long-standing problems around fragmented data, inconsistent standards and weak governance.

For many organisations, the next phase of transformation is less about deploying new AI tools than ensuring existing information can be trusted, understood and shared.

2. The National Data Library will succeed by being practical

The proposed National Data Library featured prominently throughout the conference, but speakers noted that its early success will depend on solving practical problems rather than delivering an ambitious vision from day one.

The focus is increasingly on helping departments discover, understand and access data wherever it already exists, rather than creating another large central repository. Metadata, common standards and interoperability were repeatedly identified as the building blocks that will make future AI services possible.

3. Government is focusing on outcomes, not technology

One of the strongest messages of the conference was that technology itself is no longer the measure of success.

Across sessions on the National Data Library, AI, local government innovation and data sharing, speakers consistently framed success in terms of better public services, earlier intervention, better-informed decisions and more efficient use of public resources rather than new platforms or AI models.

4. Data sharing remains government’s biggest challenge

No topic generated more discussion than data sharing, with speakers focusing on how to remove practical barriers while maintaining public confidence.

Several panellists argued that the biggest obstacles are organisational rather than technical. Sharing data often requires agreeing ownership, funding governance, establishing common standards and building trust between organisations.

Local government speakers added that operational teams often stop asking for data because they assume the answer will be no, highlighting the need for closer collaboration between technical and frontline teams.

5. Good governance helps organisations move faster

Governance was consistently presented as an enabler rather than an obstacle.

Speakers argued that trusted data, clear ownership and transparency give organisations the confidence to share information more widely and adopt AI responsibly.

Rebecca Norton Price, chief digital and data officer at the Independent Football Regulator, said organisations also need to strike the right balance between innovation and security, ensuring AI adoption is “grounded in the reality of the public sector”.

6. Real-time data is changing how government operates

Several sessions explored how organisations are moving beyond traditional reporting towards real-time operational insight.

Whether responding to safeguarding concerns, allocating resources or identifying fraud, the aim is increasingly to reduce the time between an event occurring and action being taken.

Shaun Russell, enterprise architect at Aker Systems, described this as moving from understanding “what happened” towards influencing “what happens next”.

Meanwhile, Home Office chief technology officer Mike McCarthy argued that modern data capabilities are becoming essential for answering rapidly changing operational and ministerial questions rather than simply producing historic reports.

7. Skills and culture matter as much as technology

Speakers called for stronger multidisciplinary teams bringing together engineers, analysts, architects, policy specialists and service designers, alongside greater investment in apprenticeships, communities of practice and continuous learning.

The Ministry of Justice shared how it has expanded its central data engineering capability, while other panellists stressed the importance of developing internal talent, supporting career progression and improving diversity across the profession.

8. Data leaders need to become better storytellers

peakers argued that senior leaders are unlikely to engage with discussions about data lakes, pipelines or architecture diagrams. Instead, they want to understand how better use of data will improve services, reduce costs or help citizens.

Mark Peterson, head of data and insight at North Yorkshire Council, argued that storytelling needs to explain “how it could impact you as an individual” if organisations are to build support for data sharing and transformation.

9. Local government is demonstrating what’s possible

The local government sessions offered some of the day’s most practical examples.

Speakers described how linked data can help councils move from reactive to preventative services, giving frontline staff a more complete understanding of residents’ needs and enabling earlier interventions.

Sarah Merriam, innovation and implementation lead at the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, argued that local authorities already have both the data and the incentive to deliver more personalised services, but that collaboration and data sharing now need to scale across organisational boundaries.

10. The future is connected government

The closing panel brought together many of the day’s recurring themes. Speakers called for open standards, interoperable architectures and common approaches that allow data to flow securely across organisational boundaries without creating new forms of technical debt.

Anna Ibrahim, chief data architect at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), suggested organisations should begin preparing data not just for reporting but for interaction, enabling AI to identify patterns and answer questions that traditional analytics cannot.

One key message from Think Data for Government 2026 was that AI may dominate the headlines, but across government the focus is shifting towards building trusted data foundations that support better decisions, better collaboration and ultimately better public services.

“Our final event before a well-earned summer break has been a brilliant success,” said Think Digital Partners founder, Matt Stanley. “Our expert speakers, committed sponsors and engaged delegates ensured that the conference was a space for discussion, for learning and for networking. The conversations started during the day will permeate across the public sector over the coming weeks in departments across the country.”